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The Palestinian Hamas Movement on January 23 claimed responsibility for an attack that killed 23 Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, Hamas’ military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, said that its fighters used locally-made Yasin rocket-propelled grenades and landmines in the attack, which took place in central Gaza on January 22.
“Watch the execution by Al-Qassam Brigades fighters of a compound operation against the enemy soldiers and vehicles east of the al-Maghazi refugee camp,” the group later said in a message released to media, accompanying a video of the attack.
According to an initial investigation by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), two buildings in al-Maghazi had been rigged up with around 20 mines for detonation. A rocket-propelled grenade fired by Hamas fighters from a close distance set off the mines, causing the building to collapse and killing 19 soldiers inside and near them.
An IDF tank guarding the area spotted Hamas fighters and was about to return fire, but before managing to do so, the fighters fired another rocket-propelled grenade, hitting the tank and killing two more troops.
The cell that carried out the complex attack -which resulted in the highest Israeli death toll in a single day since the beginning of ground operations in Gaza- managed to flee, according to the IDF.
The findings of IDF’s initial investigation corresponds accurately with the footage released by Hamas, which shows fighters firing rocket-propelled grenades at buildings as well as at a Merkava III main battle tank.
The deadly attack has brought the toll of Israeli troops killed since the beginning of ground operations in Gaza to 221. More than 1,200 others have been reportedly wounded.
After touring the scene of the attack, IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant colonel Herzi Halevi warned that the war on Gaza will be long and will have “many more challenges.”
“On this difficult day, it is important to say, we have been fighting for 108 days and we do not forget October 7 [attacks], we do not forget why we went to war,” Halevi said in a video message.
He also announced that the IDF over the past day has been “expanding the fighting in [the southern Gaza city of] Khan Younis, gaining more achievements, and at the same time continuing to fight in the north of the Gaza Strip and deepening the achievement.”
“On this day we feel the great and painful cost of war, but the one we are fighting now is necessary and just like no other. We will continue to fight for our clear right to live here in safety,” Halevi added.
The successful attacks show that Hamas has not only retained its combat capabilities after more than three months of Israeli bombardment, but is also developing its tactics and planning more complex defensive operations.
The effective resistance of Hamas and other Palestinian armed factions have already forced the IDF to withdraw from large areas of northern Gaza. This could happen soon in the central and southern parts of the Strip.
