Israeli operation fails; IOF launch violent strikes on Gaza
5 Min Read
The Israeli occupation launches dozens of violent raids on Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, resulting in the death and injury of many people, and an IOF operation to detain a key Resistance leader failed, highlighting another Israeli fiasco.
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Israeli occupation soldiers move tanks near the border with the Gaza Strip, in southern occupied Palestine, on May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
The Israeli aggression on Gaza escalated early overnight Sunday, with the occupation's warplanes launching more than 40 air raids on Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Strip, on Monday morning.
According to Al Mayadeen’s correspondent, the Israeli occupation carried out heavy fire belts in the area, with destruction reaching residential regions. However, the Israeli occupation reportedly failed to achieve its objectives from these strikes.
Our correspondent detailed that the Israeli occupation launched more than 40 airstrikes on Khan Younis in the span of a few seconds. The town of al-Qarara, east of Khan Younis, also came under heavy attack as the occupation continued its attacks in southern Gaza.
Among the targets was a room inside the Nasser Medical Complex, one of the sites sheltering displaced civilians. The Israeli airstrikes on Gaza also struck the al-Mawasi area in Khan Younis, a designated humanitarian zone.
These actions further endanger thousands already displaced by the ongoing assault.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent also added that seven were martyred after an Israeli drone bombed a group of Palestinians while they were digging a water well at the end of al-Jalaa Street, north of Gaza.
Israeli intelligence failure in ground assault, only martyrs
Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that, as part of the ground assault, Israeli forces, disguised in women's clothing, attempted to reach the location of Israeli captives north of Khan Younis. However, the Israeli force failed to achieve its objective, killing a Palestinian citizen and kidnapping his wife and children.
According to the Israeli Walla news, the Israeli army reported to a high-ranking official that they carried out a special operation in Khan Younis.
Al Mayadeen's Bureau chief in occupied Palestine called the operation an Israeli security and intelligence failure.
According to Al Mayadeen's correspondent, more than 160 Palestinians have been martyred since Monday morning due to the ongoing Israeli bombardment.
IOF fail to detain Resistance leader
Military expert Hani al-Dali informed Al Mayadeen that, "the goal of the Israeli operation was to detain [Resistance] leader Ahmad Serhan to gather intel."
Later in the day, the Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Resistance Committees, mourned the martyrdom of Serhan.
The brigades confirmed in a statement that the commander was martyred on Monday after engaging and confronting Israeli special forces that had infiltrated the city of Khan Younis.
The brigades praised his "resistance and combative career that disturbed the Zionist enemy's sleep, inflicting heavy losses and casualties on its soldiers."
The movement emphasized that the assassination of Resistance leaders would only strengthen their resolve, steadfastness, and determination to continue the path of resistance until the "usurping Zionist entity is destroyed and defeated."
Casualties in Deir al-Balah and the Nuseirat
In the central Gaza Strip, five people were martyred and four others wounded in a strike on a house near Hamad City, northwest of Khan Younis.
Elsewhere, an Israeli bombardment targeted a house in Deir al-Balah, resulting in additional deaths and injuries.
Al Mayadeen’s correspondent also reported that a tent sheltering displaced people near the al-Sawarha cemetery, south of the Nuseirat refugee camp, was bombed, resulting in more casualties.
This latest escalation follows an announcement from the Israeli occupation army on Sunday regarding the launch of a wide-scale ground assault on both northern and southern Gaza.
The army spokesperson stated that these developments are part of what it called "Operation Gideon", signaling a new phase in the ongoing aggressive and brutal war on Gaza.
As the occupation widens its offensive, civilian infrastructure and densely populated areas remain under continuous threat, raising fears of an even greater humanitarian catastrophe.
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It is worth mentioning that Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Civil Defense in Gaza, told Al Mayadeen on Sunday that the situation in the Gaza Strip was "catastrophic."
Basal said the assaults have been heavily focused on the North, particularly in areas already struggling with massive displacement and destruction, adding that Israeli drones directly targeted displaced civilians, further worsening the humanitarian crisis.
Furthermore, the ambulance system in Gaza is rapidly collapsing, according to Basal, who further stressed that 75% of emergency vehicles are no longer operable due to the ongoing fuel crisis, leaving thousands without access to emergency medical care.
He also described worsening conditions on the ground, saying, "The starvation strategy continues, and thousands of citizens sleep without being able to eat even a small piece of bread."
