Golani's 13th Battalion withdraws from Gaza after al-Shujaiya defeat

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
22 Dec 2023 06:29
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The Israeli occupation forces' command has pulled out several Battalions from the Gaza Strip hoping to give them a short 'resting' period after they suffered huge losses in December.

Israeli occupation soldiers of the Golani Brigade attend the funeral of another soldier who was killed in a Resistance operation in the al-Shujaiya neighborhood alongside several others, in occupied Palestine, on July 22, 2014. (AP)

The Israeli occupation forces' Golani Brigade's 13th Batallion has withdrawn from the Gaza Strip after suffering substantial losses in its ranks, which culminated in a well-drawn ambush in the al-Shujaiya neighborhood.

Seven Golani troops, including two high-ranking officers, were killed on December 12, when Resistance fighters ambushed occupation forces in the al-Shujaiya.

This toll includes Litenuent Colonel Tomer Grinberg, the commander of the 13th Battalion, and Colonel Izhak Ben Basat, the head of the Golani Brigade chief's forward command team. Grinberg was previously videotaped rallying his troops in the northern Gaza Strip, promising them victory. The 13th Batallion also lost Major Roei Meldasi, a company commander in the same ambush.

Nine days following the historic ambush that crushed soldiers and officers from Golani's 51st and 13th Battalion, the IOF has decided to pull out the battered 13th Batallion from the Gaza Strip, in order to "regroup and rest."

As "Israel" continues to suffer heavy losses in #Gaza, Israeli media announced the Golani Brigade's withdrawal from Gaza after 60 days of aggression on the Strip.

This comes as at least 80 Golani Brigade soldiers were killed since October 7. pic.twitter.com/3GGDH8V2lZ
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) December 21, 2023

In its aggressions, the Israeli occupation has heavily relied on the Golani Brigade's Battalions to achieve what it deems as "victory". The same was expected from Golani fighters in Gaza, specifically in al-Shujaiya, which represented a major hurdle for the Brigade that had already experienced heavy losses during the 2014 war on Gaza.

However, the Brigade failed to meet its command's expectations, instead, its soldiers scrambled in Gaza, as the Palestinian Resistance broke its command chain, by eliminating key figures.

The Israeli Channel 12 reported that for the first time since the occupation launched its invasion of the Gaza Strip, the 13th Batallion's troops will take a break to refresh in the Gaza Envelope. The Israeli media outlet said that the occupation soldiers would only be given a 48-hour break before being redeployed in Gaza.

It is worth noting that Israeli paratroopers will also pull out from the Gaza Strip, for the same timeframe.

Interestingly, the Israeli occupation forces had allowed the paratroopers a short break, after families of occupation soldiers criticized the Israeli military command for their extended deployment. The Channel 12 also shed light on letters sent by occupation forces to their families from within the Gaza Strip, in which they discussed the difficult conditions they face, including "lack of sleep."