Israeli soldiers and tanks attacked the northern capital of Gaza from both sides yesterday, as part of a major ground offensive against the Palestinian enclave, although Israeli officials have avoided calling the campaign an invasion.
Israel's military said it had hit more than 600 military targets in the past few days as it expanded ground operations in the Gaza Strip, where Palestinian civilians are in desperate need of fuel, food and clean water as the war enters its fourth week.
Islamic militants, as reported by Reuters, announced that they repelled an attempt by Israeli tanks to invade the Gaza Strip from the east and that they were fighting them on the border with Israel. "Our duty is to fight and fight," said Islamic Jihad, which is fighting alongside Hamas, adding that now is not the time for a ceasefire.
The Israeli military said it killed four prominent Hamas operatives and dozens of terrorists who barricaded themselves in buildings and tunnels and tried to attack the soldiers. The army also said that during the ground operation, an Israeli soldier who was abducted on October 7 was freed from Hamas captivity, but no further details were released about the circumstances of her release.
After providing only limited information about the ground offensive in Gaza for three days, the Israeli military yesterday provided somewhat greater insight into its tactics and short-term goals.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesman, told a news conference that in the current phase of the operation, a combined force of infantry, tanks and armored units is trying to close in on groups of armed Palestinian operatives inside Gaza. Overnight, he said, "dozens of terrorists were eliminated" after they locked themselves in buildings and tried to attack soldiers moving in their direction.
"We move on the ground, locate terrorists and attack them from the air. Also, there are direct clashes between ground forces and terrorists," said Hagari. He, as reported by the New York Times, refused to say how many Israeli soldiers are inside Gaza, or where exactly they are, saying only that the army is involved in "extended ground operations" that are "advancing gradually".
Analysts estimate that although these are intensive operations, the current ground offensive is not of the scale that Israel previously announced, which could be an indication that the war will be conducted in smaller, targeted operations instead of a massive invasion through the densely populated enclave.
Israel's Defense Ministry released videos showing the maneuvers inside Gaza, showing soldiers in buildings, tanks on a main road and airstrikes on buildings it said were occupied by Hamas. Reuters could not independently confirm the details of the footage.
Medical authorities in Gaza, home to 2,3 million people in the 45 km long enclave, said yesterday that 8.306 people, including 3.457 minors, had died.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Efforts (OCHA) reported that rescuers were unable to reach the victims. "As of October 29, approximately 1.800 people, including at least 940 children, were reported missing and may be dead or trapped under the rubble, awaiting rescue or to be found," it said.
The UN agency also said that armed groups continue to indiscriminately fire rockets at Israel, with no reported deaths.
Entering the fourth day of what a military spokesman described as an "extended ground operation" against Hamas, Israel continued to warn hospitals in northern Gaza to evacuate, the World Health Organization said. However, as Israeli troops tried to push deeper into the territory, the agency again asked Israel to withdraw the warning, saying it was impossible to evacuate hospitals without risking the lives of patients. Health facilities are already damaged or overcrowded and face serious drug shortages.
Many Palestinians refuse to evacuate for fear of becoming homeless again like previous generations and because the Israeli army is also bombing targets in the south where they are supposed to find refuge.
Fadi, who lives in the Jabalia refugee camp on the outskirts of Gaza, said the area is now in mortal danger because of an Israeli ground offensive with tanks moving on its edges. However, he promised that he would not run away.
“This whole area is full of people. No one in the whole neighborhood left. We are staying," he told Reuters. "Whether it's tanks or planes, there won't be another displacement (of Palestinians). It is our decision, even if it means our martyrdom”.
Analysts estimate that although these are intensive operations, the current ground offensive is not of the scale that Israel previously announced, which could be an indication that the war will be conducted in smaller, targeted operations instead of a massive invasion through the densely populated enclave.
Retired Marine Corps General Frank McKenzie said that targeted movements inside Gaza, instead of a full invasion, also ensure that the Israeli army is not overburdened.
"This is an infantry fight," he said. "A lot will depend on the people on the ground, not only on the front line, but also behind the front line, making sure that Hamas doesn't suddenly attack command centers, medical posts and other logistical elements."
Hamas is equipped with thousands of gallons of fuel that can be used for vehicles and rockets, ammunition, enough food, water and medicine - indicating how long it has been preparing for such a conflict.
Over the weekend, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel had entered the "second phase" of the war, which he warned would be "long and difficult" as they try to eliminate Hamas.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant earlier this month talked about the three phases of the battle plan. The first consists of intensive airstrikes against Hamas targets and infrastructure, the second a transitional period of "lower intensity operations" aimed at "eliminating pockets of openings". The third phase, according to Galant, will be the creation of "a new security reality for the citizens of Israel" which is assumed to mean the end of Hamas rule.
Much still depends on several factors: the global perception of Israel as it wages an urban war that further endangers civilians; the resilience of Hamas, which has been preparing the ground for years in the enclave it rules; the effectiveness of US President Joe Biden's plan to publicly support Israel while privately advocating a more limited military operation; and the fate of the 230 hostages held in Gaza.
Yesterday, Hamas released a video showing three women it is holding captive, one of whom angrily addressed Netanyahu, accusing him of failing to protect Israeli citizens during the deadly Hamas attack. She asked for a deal to release the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. "He was supposed to free us all. You pledged to set us all free. But instead we bear your political, security, military, diplomatic failure," she said.
Netanyahu condemned the video as "cruel psychological propaganda" and repeated his promise to make every effort to bring the hostages home. "Kidnapped by Hamas, which commits war crimes, I support you. Our hearts go out to you and the other hostages. We are doing everything to bring home all the hostages and the missing," he said.
He said last night that Israel will not agree to a ceasefire with that group after the attack by Hamas on October 7, in which 1400 people were killed. "I hope and pray that civilized countries will support this fight," Netanyahu said and added that "even the most just wars have unintentional civilian victims."
The deepening of Israel's military offensive in Gaza comes at a time when enthusiasm for the prolonged occupation is waning in Israeli society. Support fell from 65% on October 10 to 46%, according to a survey by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which followed the same sample of 1.774 people, with a margin of error of 4,2%, the Guardian reported.
"We are seeing a continued decline in Israeli support for the occupation of Gaza," said Nimrod Nir, a researcher at the Faculty of Social Sciences. "The shock that we saw in the first week, the anger that we saw in the second, is now gradually calming down and now the Israelis are more concerned about the hostage situation and less inclined to a full occupation".
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