Palestinian Resistance factions have intensified their operations against Israeli forces in Gaza, with both the al-Quds Brigades and al-Qassam Brigades reporting attacks on Israeli engineering units in the eastern part of Gaza City.

On Tuesday, al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, announced it had targeted an Israeli engineering force with a barrage of 60mm mortar shells. The force was reportedly operating east of al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City.

A day earlier, the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility for luring an Israeli engineering unit into a pre-rigged tunnel trap in the same area. According to the group, once the unit reached the tunnel entrance, it was detonated, causing casualties among Israeli soldiers.

Dismantling Hamas 'not a realistic goal'

Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that dismantling Hamas was not currently on the government's agenda, citing the group's resilience and continued combat capabilities. "Contrary to initial assessments, Hamas still retains a significant number of fighters, some of whom are organized into brigades and battalions," the report stated, adding that Hamas' guerrilla warfare tactics are complicating the Israeli army's efforts.

Additionally, Haaretz reported that the Israeli Southern Command has acknowledged that large numbers of Hamas fighters have regrouped in the city of Rafah, further challenging Israeli military objectives in the region.

'Breaking the Sword' operation footage