A report by the Washington Post on Friday reveals how the Palestinian Resistance set booby traps and ambushed the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) trying to penetrate the Gaza Strip. 

According to the newspaper, the IOF "found themselves being lured into a deadly and surreal trap" near the Jabalia Refugee Camp. 

In a statement last week, the IOF detailed that “the ambush attempted to use dolls and children’s backpacks with speakers playing sounds of crying."

Some analysts assume that these traps confused the IOF into killing the three Israeli captives in Gaza last week, pointing out that they were probably "terrified and quick to fire."

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On the same note, a senior researcher at Tel Aviv University, Kobi Michael, stressed that these traps were meant to create "confusion, chaos, anger and frustration." He added that Israeli forces facing intense close-range confrontations may be "actually exhausted and afraid," stressing that the ambushes carried out by the resistance "make Israeli soldiers more vulnerable to being caught by surprise." 

According to the newspaper, the IOF and the Palestinian Resistance are engaging in confrontations in "an increasingly complex battlefield — one on which Israel deploys 21st-century drones and robots while Hamas relies on some of the oldest tactics: deception, surprise, ambush."

It acknowledges that the Palestinian Resistance is engaging in confrontations both above and below ground. Fighters maneuver between buildings, attempting to ambush Israeli forces.

That said, the newspaper quoted Israeli analysts as saying that the Israeli forces are struggling to achieve conflicting goals: “finding and killing Hamas fighters while also trying to rescue prisoners.” 

'Israel' unable to eliminate Hamas

Earlier, the Israeli Ynet website reported that the Israeli occupation forces may have to leave the Gaza Strip before their chief military goal, the complete elimination of the Hamas Resistance movement is achieved.

Israeli journalist and political and military affairs analyst Ronen Bergman wrote that he spoke with a senior government official on the condition of anonymity, with the latter going on a rant about the Israeli occupation's invasion of the Gaza Strip.

The official said he feels nauseous and disgusted after every talk he has with several officials from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, namely due to the instructions he receives regarding the ongoing invasion, whose goals the official said were the "destruction of the infrastructure, capabilities, and rule of Hamas", as well as the release of all the captives.

Reportedly, despite the many setbacks and failures, Israeli officials insist that the ground invasion should continue "both to achieve the first goal, the dismantling of the [Resistance] organizations, and also the second: to put enough pressure on al-Sinwar for him to capitulate and agree to a deal that Israel can accept."