Hit-and-run battles in northern Gaza… and Netanyahu to step up invasion
Ground clashes spread into the Gaza Strip with the Israeli army, on one side, and Al-Qassam fighters, on the other, using the hit-and-run method, and the two sides clashed on multiple of an axis in the north of the Strip. and in the eastern part of the Gaza Strip, while the planes continued to strike various areas of the Strip, and in response “Al-Qassam” bombed Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the covered areas.
Fighters from the Al-Qassam Brigades fought violent clashes with the Israeli army advancing towards the Gaza Strip, and reached for the first time on Monday Salah al-Din Street (east), the main road connecting the north of Strip to the south. , before retiring at a later date.
While Israel announced progress in its ground operation and killing of Hamas militants, the movement claimed it had forced Israeli forces to retreat, inflicting casualties on them and foiling their plan. For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the Israeli army has expanded its land entry into the Gaza Strip “with decisive and strong steps”, underlining that it is making progress.
Release of the prisoner
Netanyahu’s announcement came shortly before it was revealed that the army had managed to free a female soldier held captive by Hamas during a ground operation. A joint statement from the army and Shin Bet said they had freed a female soldier who was in Hamas hands during a ground operation inside the Gaza Strip, without further details.
Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed on Monday that the armed forces continued and deepened their ground operations in Gaza, with the help of helicopter gunships and remotely manned aircraft, and eliminated cells attempting to attack forces. He also destroyed “terrorist” infrastructure, including anti-tank sites and additional launch sites.
Hagari announced that his forces, under intelligence guidance, were able to assassinate key Hamas activists, including the commander of the naval force in the central camps, Jamil Baba, and the commander of the anti-armored system in the battalion Apple, Muhammad Safadi. as well as prominent anti-armored missile system activist, Moamen.Hegazy, and production system official, Muhammad Awadallah.
Tanks in Salah al-Din Street
The Israeli army released images showing Israeli forces advancing on farmland, before Palestinians broadcast images of tanks in Salah al-Din Street, cutting it off and firing a projectile into a car, killing all who came across it. found on board. Hagari responded to a journalist’s question about the presence of Israeli tanks on the Salah al-Din axis, saying they are gradually proceeding according to plan, refusing to confirm the position of Israeli forces in Gaza, even if materials appear on the social media. .
But Hamas confirmed that the Israeli army failed to advance further into nearby residential neighborhoods and that the Al-Qassam Brigades subsequently forced it to retreat.
Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, said in a press conference that the Israeli occupation had failed in its ground incursion and that throughout this period it had been unable to achieve political, military or security results. Hamad added: “The Al-Qassam Brigades managed to repel the occupation forces in all places from which they attempted to enter. He was able to inflict heavy losses on them in terms of personnel and equipment.”
The Al-Qassam Brigades confirmed that their fighters faced the Israeli invading forces and clashed with them with machine guns and “Al-Yassin 105” shells northwest of Gaza and northwest of Beit Lahia, and they surprised raiding forces northwest of Beit Lahia with missiles. and machine guns under the cover of sniper weapons.
Al-Qassam published a video showing injuries sustained in Israeli armored vehicles, without it being clear whether they caused injuries or not. The attempt to advance towards Gaza, although dependent on the step-by-step principle and not a comprehensive ground invasion, Hagari said he aims to achieve two goals: Eliminate Hamas and free the hostages.
The video of the hostages is “cruel psychological” propaganda.
The hostage issue imposes itself strongly on both the course of negotiations and the war, as well as on the Israeli government and Hamas.
Hamas has embarrassed the Israeli government and put pressure on it and Netanyahu with a video, released on Monday, in the midst of battles on the ground, of 3 female Israeli prisoners calling for Netanyahu’s immediate release.
One of the prisoners accused Netanyahu of failure and said she tolerated his political, security, military and governmental failure. She turned to Netanyahu: “You want to kill us, you want to kill everyone, you want the army to kill us.” Isn’t it enough that you massacred everyone? Isn’t it enough that you killed innocent Israeli citizens on October 7? Free us now. Free their citizens. Free their (Palestinian) prisoners. Free us. Allow us to return to our families. Now, now, now.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu responded, describing the video as “cruel” psychological propaganda from Hamas. Netanyahu said in a post on platform “X” that Israel will do everything necessary to return the hostages, adding: “I address Elena Trupanov, Daniel Aloni and Ramon Kirscht, who were kidnapped by Hamas, which is committing war crimes . I embrace you, our heart is with you and with the other kidnappers”, underlining: “We are doing our best to bring all the kidnapped and missing people back to their homeland”.
Incessant bombardment
These developments occurred at a time when Israel continued to relentlessly bomb the Gaza Strip. The Ministry of Health announced that the death toll from the ongoing aggression by the Israeli occupation forces against the Gaza Strip, since October 7, has risen to 8,260 martyrs and 21,000 wounded. According to the report published on Monday, 73% of the victims in the Gaza Strip were children, women and the elderly.
Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh described Israel’s war in Gaza as “a war of extermination beyond description.” Shtayyeh added in his speech at the start of the government meeting in Ramallah on Monday: “The killing of thousands of children by the occupation as they slept in the arms of their mothers and fathers and between their grandfathers and grandmothers reflects the tragic scope of this situation. a criminal war has arrived, which must stop immediately.”
He added: “More than half of the insurgent martyrs in the Gaza Strip were children and women, trembling with fear and hunger in their homes, while planes and tanks await those who have survived so far, biding their time.” which pounces on them, snatching them from the hands of their fathers and mothers, and demolishing the houses above their heads, transforming them into mass graves.”
Shtayyeh confirmed that 100 families have been exterminated so far, while hundreds, if not thousands, are still trapped under the rubble. He continued: “What is needed now is to immediately stop the aggression, allow treatment of the wounded to save the lives of thousands of people threatened with death, open safe humanitarian corridors to bring in food, medicine, water and fuel, and stop displacement forced”.