The Israeli occupation forces announced that during fighting in the northern Gaza Strip earlier on Thursday, an Israeli soldier was killed and three others were wounded. The incident occurred in the Beit Hanoun area, close to an Israeli military post located within the occupation's buffer zone.

According to the Israeli occupation forces, the slain soldier served as a tank driver in the 14th Reserve Armored Brigade’s 79th Battalion.

Sniper, anti-tank fire cause multiple casualties

An initial IOF investigation revealed that the soldier was killed by sniper fire. In the same incident, a reservist from the 79th Battalion and an officer from the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit sustained serious injuries. Additionally, a reservist in the Gaza Division's Northern Brigade’s 8239th Battalion was moderately wounded.

The remaining occupation troops were hit by anti-tank fire, according to early findings from the IOF probe. The military believes that the group responsible for the attack managed to flee the area following the incident.

The incident highlights the ongoing intensity of confrontations in northern Gaza, particularly around Beit Hanoun, where Israeli forces maintain positions in the occupied area they dub a buffer zone.

Joint Resistance operations

Palestinian Resistance factions have intensified their operations against Israeli forces in Gaza, with both the al-Quds Brigades and al-Qassam Brigades reporting attacks on Israeli engineering units in the eastern part of Gaza City.

On Tuesday, al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, announced it had targeted an Israeli engineering force with a barrage of 60mm mortar shells. The force was reportedly operating east of al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City.

A day earlier, the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility for luring an Israeli engineering unit into a pre-rigged tunnel trap in the same area. According to the group, once the unit reached the tunnel entrance, it was detonated, causing casualties among Israeli soldiers.

Dismantling Hamas 'not a realistic goal'

Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that dismantling Hamas was not currently on the government's agenda, citing the group's resilience and continued combat capabilities. "Contrary to initial assessments, Hamas still retains a significant number of fighters, some of whom are organized into brigades and battalions," the report stated, adding that Hamas' guerrilla warfare tactics are complicating the Israeli army's efforts.