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The Hamas Movement and other armed factions in the Gaza Strip continue to inflict human and material losses on the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
On February 7, Hamas’ military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, released a video showing one of its snipers targeted an IDF officer in al-Jama’at area to the west of Gaza City in northern Gaza. A locally-made Ghoul sniper rifle was used in the attack.
Separately, the al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, shared two videos showing recent rocket attacks on IDF gatherings inside Gaza and nearby Israeli settlements.
The al-Mujahideen Brigades also released two videos showing an attack with a rocket-propelled grenade on an Israeli main battle tank and a rocket attack on IDF gatherings to the west of Gaza City.
Hebrew media reported on February 8 that 12 Israeli troops were wounded in the last 24 hours, at least ten of them inside Gaza. However, the IDF didn’t announce any new fatalities.
The IDF withdrew from several areas in northern Gaza earlier this year and its operations in the central and southern parts of the Strip slowed down in recent days. There was also some progress in indirect talks with Hamas. Still Israel is apparently planning to further expand its ground operations.
In a recent press conference, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that victory was within reach in Gaza, and vowed to launch an offensive in Rafah, which is located along the Strip’s border with Egypt.
