Fighters turned Gaza City into 'graveyard' for Merkavas: Field source

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
28 Feb 2024 09:25

Resistance fighters continue to fiercely confront Israeli occupation forces in al-Zaytun, killing two officers.

A screengrab shows the moment an armor-piercing shell impacted an Israeli military armored personnel carrier in Khan Younis, in footage published by al-Qassam Brigades' military media channel, on February 25, 2024. (Al-Qassam Brigades/Military Media)

The Dawlah Intersection and al-Sikka Street in Gaza City have been "turned into a graveyard" for Israeli Merkava tanks, a leader in the Palestinian Resistance from al-Zaytoun neighborhood told Al Mayadeen on Wednesday morning.

His remarks come after various Palestinian Resistance factions fiercely engaged invading Israeli occupation forces in al-Zaytoun neighborhood throughout the past ten days. Tuesday in particular saw intense fighting, which resulted in the killing of two Israeli military officers, the spokesperson for the Israeli occupation forces admitted on Wednesday.

"The occupation's military incurred heavy losses yesterday," the Resistance commander told Al Mayadeen, adding that military "helicopters landed [in the area] three times to evacuate those killed and wounded."

"Israeli warplanes intervened three times to cover the evacuation operations, executing concentrated raids on several axes," the source explained.

"Our fighters from [every faction] are still in their combat positions and are carrying out their tasks according to plans established in advance," the Resistance commander in al-Zaytoun told Al Mayadeen, highlighting the Resistance's ability to command and control large-scale operations in the northern Gaza Strip, contrary to Israeli claims.

"A state of confusion dominates the movements of the occupation soldiers [in al-Zaytoun neighborhood]."

In one of its operations in the aforementioned areas, the Palestinian Resistance killed at least two Israeli officers who served under the Givati Brigade's Tzabar Battalion, one of which was a company commander, while the other was a platoon commander. According to the IOF's spokesperson, seven other soldiers and officers were severely injured and evacuated in the same incident, in which an improvised explosive device was detonated in a building in the area.

This brings the total number of Israeli occupation forces killed since the ground invasion into the Gaza Strip was launched to 242, while the total number of Israeli troops killed reached 582, since October 7, 2023.

Palestinian Resistance relentless in Gaza

Although the current area of confrontations demanded that the Israeli military order a large number of forces and resources into al-Zaytoun, in its initial invasion of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian Resistance factions and fighters continue to execute their tasks in the area.

This comes although "Israel" had claimed that it had dismantled the Resistance infrastructure in the northern Gaza Strip and achieved operational control in these areas.

On Tuesday, members of Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's (PIJ) al-Quds Brigades, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine's (PFLP) Abu Ali Moustapha Brigades, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine's (DFLP) National Resistance Brigades, al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, and al-Mujahideen Brigades all participated and led top-tier operations against occupation forces in Gaza City.

One of the most noteworthy operations conducted by Palestinian Resistance fighters was the detonation of an unexploded bomb, dropped by Israeli warplanes. Al-Quds Brigades' sapper units set up the unexploded bomb in a building in al-Dawlah intersection to later push an Israeli force into the same building, which was later detonated, killing and injuring members of the force.

Al-Qassam fighters were also able to monitor several Israeli helicopters that arrived to the east of al-Zaytoun to evacuate Israeli casualties. At the same time, al-Mujahideen fighters destroyed an Israeli Merkava 4 tank to the south of al-Zaytoun and targeted an Israeli military bulldozer with an anti-tank shell.