IOF dubs Hamad neighborhood 'hornet's nest' amid fierce confrontations

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
14 Mar 2024 12:13

Despite the Israeli occupation forces' offensive, which includes carpet bombings and a ground aggression, Hamas Resistance fighters in the Hamad neighborhood of Khan Younis continue to demonstrate resilience and effectiveness.

A screengrab from a video shared by al-Qassam Brigades shows a Resistance fighter targeting Israeli occupation soldiers in the Gaza Strip, occupied Palestine, on March 10, 2024. (Military Media)

An Israeli newspaper citing a commander of a Special Forces Brigade in the Israeli occupation forces, Colonel Omer Cohen, acknowledged that Hamas and the Palestinian Resistance are far from defeated, as the IOF soldiers fighting in the Hamad neighborhood in Khan Younis have witnessed confrontations of a caliber they had not seen anywhere else in the Strip.

The military affairs correspondent for Haaretz quoted Cohen as saying, on March 14, that the neighborhood is filled with Palestinian fighters utilizing more advanced combat equipment, including high-level explosive devices being employed against Israeli occupation forces.

Cohen explained that Hamas' command and control system in this neighborhood remains functioning, saying, "It is clear that Hamas still has the capabilities to manage forces here, and this is evident in the fighting in recent days."

He emphasized that the intense fighting and the number of fighters who continue to emerge from every corner of the neighborhood indicate that the area holds important assets or valuable infrastructure for Hamas there.

The newspaper also quoted another officer as saying, "Only when you enter the Hamad neighborhood do you truly understand that it is a hornet's nest."

Cohen has been on the receiving end of a great deal of criticism by families of Israeli soldiers, who said that contrary to other forces fighting in Gaza, he has not given his soldiers any time off in months of violent battles.

IOF withdraw from Hamad City

In the Gaza Strip, several Israeli occupation forces pulled back from Hamad City, northwest of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Strip, as per Al Mayadeen's correspondent.

Our correspondent added that rescue teams have started recovering the bodies of the martyrs still trapped under the debris of their homes due to the Israeli aggression.

Al-Mujahideen Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian al-Mujahideen Movement, announced that its Resistance fighters downed and captured an Israeli Evo Max 4T drone in the northern Beit Lahia area, north of the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, released footage of attacks on Israeli military vehicles and gatherings on Street 10, as well as other locations in the southern part of Gaza City.