Click to see full-size image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on February 4 that the Paratroopers Brigade advanced in the al-Amal neighborhood of the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip after killing numerous fighters of the Hamas Movement.
Israeli troops have so far located weapons and dozens of sites belonging to Hamas, including tunnel shafts, observation posts and weapons manufacturing plants, in the neighborhood, which the IDF described as a major stronghold of the group.
As the Paratroopers Brigade advanced in al-Amal, the soldiers encountered several Hamas cells attempting to open fire and place explosive devices, the IDF said.
The IDF added that the brigade’s forces killed numerous gunmen in close-quarters combat, with sniper fire, mortar shelling and by directing airstrikes.
Also amid the paratroopers’ operations, soldiers raided several Hamas sites where the group hid money, including the offices of an exchange store, and seized more than NIS 3 million in cash, according to the IDF.
Click to see full-size image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
Click to see full-size image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
Click to see full-size image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
The IDF withdrew large forces from northern Gaza earlier this year and shifted its focus to Khan Younis and nearby areas in the southern part of the Strip.
Recent Israeli ground operations in Khan Younis led to more casualties among Palestinian civilians. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said on February 4 that at least 27,365 people have been killed in the Strip so far during the war.
The latest toll includes 127 deaths over the past 24 hours, a ministry statement said, while a total of 66,630 people have been wounded since the war broke out on October 7.
The IDF is yet to impose full control over Khan Younis. Hamas and other Palestinian armed factions are still operating inside the city with much freedom. The exact goal of the Israel attack there is unclear. This reflects the state of confusion of the Israeli leadership.
