Heavy fighting continues between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas operatives in the northern Gaza Strip alongside airstrikes. According to IDF, the Kfir Infantry Brigade came across a Hamas cell in a school located in the Shejaiya neighborhood. After the IDF troops killed the gunmen, they found classrooms filled with weapons and military equipment.
IDF reports show that the troops destroyed a tunnel shaft in Shejaiya. The IDF believes that the tunnel is a part of the vast tunnel network in the region. The troopers of the Golani Brigade encountered Hamas operatives armed with anti-tank missiles. Since the troopers could not effectively fight back, they called in an airstrike, which helped kill the operatives. As heavy fighting continued in Beit Hanoun, the IDF 5th Reserve Infantry Brigade was shot at by Hamas operatives from a mosque and UNRWA school. They returned fire, which continued for a few hours before the operatives were overpowered.
On Friday, Israel confirmed that their military is rounding up Palestinian men in northern Gaza. The men are interrogated to identify Hamas militants. The first images from the north town of Beirut Lahiya were released on Thursday. Dozens of men were seen sitting or kneeling in the streets. They were stripped to the underwear with their hands bound behind their backs while others had their heads bowed to the ground. As per the United Nations monitors, Israeli troops allegedly detained men and boys aged 15 in a school-turned shelter.
Israeli’s ground and air military campaign is now focused on the northern third of Gaza. This has led to thousands of residents to flee south. A few days ago, Israel amped up its ground assault into central and southern Gaza. These two regions are occupied by more than 2.3 million Palestinians who are cut off from humanitarian supplies.
As the Israeli troopers obliterate Gaza City and nearby areas in the north, numerous residents remain in the region. Although the UN cannot confirm the numbers, they believe tens of thousands remain in the area. Some cannot move, while others refuse to leave their homes, citing that the south is no safer. Some even fear that they will not be allowed to return to their homes after the war ends. We are yet to see the climax of this war. Only time will tell what will happen.
Image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license and was created by Open Street Map.
