Click to see full-size image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
As of January 13, heavy fighting between the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Hamas Movement continues in the central and southern parts of the Gaza Strip.
The IDF said in a statement that troops from the 646th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade operating in central Gaza located two Hamas rocket launching sites, with projectiles prepared for launch in the immediate time-frame.
Video footage released by the IDF shows the launchers being destroyed, with at least one of the rockets flying out due to the blast.
The IDF also said that operations are still ongoing in the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, with the 7th Armored Brigade destroying a Hamas tunnel shaft in a building used as a weapons depot. It added that several Hamas fighters were killed by Israeli tank fire.
Also in Khan Younis, the IDF said that the Paratroopers Brigade spotted Hamas fighters opening fire from a building and fleeing. The soldiers called in an airstrike, killing one of the fighters, while the second fled to another building, where he was later killed by another aircraft.
In northern Gaza, Israeli troops of the 401st Armored Brigade located and destroyed a number of rocket launching positions in the al-Atatra neighborhood, according to the IDF.
Meanwhile, Hamas’ military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, said that its fighters had targeted a bulldozer and two main battle tanks of the IDF in Khan Younis with explosive devices. It also reported attacks on two groups of Israeli troops and said its fighters gunned down two soldiers from point blank in the city.
In addition, the fighters fired an anti-aircraft missile at an IDF helicopter that was flying on a mission to the east of Khan Younis.
Israel and Hamas have been engaged in indirect talks for the last few days with help from Egypt and Qatar. However, they are yet to reach a ceasefire agreement. The ongoing battles in central and southern Gaza could go on for days, if not weeks.
