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The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) continues to sustain human and material losses while attempting to advance in the Gaza Strip.
On February 21, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas Movement -which rules over Gaza-, released a video showing its fighters blowing up a main battle tank, targeting Israeli troops with sniper rifles and shelling IDF gatherings in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood in the northern part of the Strip.
The footage also shows an Israeli military helicopter carrying out a medical evacuation in Gaza under fire after one of the attacks.
Meanwhile, the Mujahideen Brigades -one of the smallest factions in Gaza- released two videos on February 22 showing rocket attacks on IDF gatherings in southeastern Gaza.
Additionally, the al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad -the second largest faction in Gaza-, released video footage on February 23 showing recent mortar attacks against Israeli troops in several directions within Gaza.
The IDF has lost 237 troops since the start of ground operations in Gaza. More than 1,300 others have been reportedly wounded.
In recent weeks, Israel withdrew several formations, mainly made up of reservists, from Gaza. Its troops also abandoned several parts of the Strip. However, the war is still far from being over.
Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas are yet to yield a ceasefire agreement. The IDF is now reportedly preparing to launch a large-scale offensive in the southern Gaza area of Rafah, which is located right on the border of Egypt. More than one million Palestinians are currently taking shelter there.
An offensive in Rafah could lead to a significant increase in the number of casualties in the Strip, which has already exceeded 29,000.
