On December 9, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported heavy clashes with the Hamas Movement and other armed factions in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
The IDF said that troops from the Kfir Infantry Brigade encountered a Hamas cell in a school in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood. The troops killed the gunmen and later found inside the classrooms weapons and military equipment.
Troops of the Armored Corps operating with the Paratroopers Brigade found and destroyed a tunnel shaft in Shejaiya, which the IDF said was part of a “wide” tunnel network. Another tunnel shaft in the area had an elevator, according to the IDF.
The IDF also released footage showing soldiers from the Nahal Infantry Brigade’s 931st Battalion clashing with Hamas fighters in the Jabaliya refugee camp.
In addition, the IDF said that troops from the Golani Brigade identified a number of Hamas fighters with anti-tank missiles approaching them in Shejaiya. The soldiers called in an airstrike, and a combat helicopter killed the fighters.
In Beit Hanoun,the 5th Reserve Infantry Brigade came under fire by Hamas fighters shooting from a mosque and a UNRWA school, the IDF alleged.
The IDF added that the Navy carried out strikes in the Strip overnight, including a building with Hamas fighters in it, identified by ground forces. It also hit other sites and vessels belonging to Hamas.
Hamas’ military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and the al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, reported heavy clashes not only in northern Gaza but also in the city of Khan Yunis in the southern part of the Strip. The two groups also announced mortar and rocket attacks against IDF gatherings in Gaza as well as nearby bases and settlements.
It’s worth noting that the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reported the death of 133 people as a result of Israeli strikes in the last 24 hours. Death toll in the Strip since the start of the war has reached 17,487, according to the ministry. More than 46,480 others have been injured.
The IDF didn’t make much gains in northern or southern Gaza in the last few days. However, a pause in fighting remains highly unlikely.