Israel’s Gaza invasion – Day 17: Israel-Hamas ground battles burst out
Over 436 people have died as a result of Israeli bombings on the Gaza Strip, which they continue to carry out alongside ground battles with Hamas.
The majority of the casualties happened in Gaza’s heavily populated southern sector, and Israeli aircraft also carried out raids in southern Lebanon as the fighting spread outside of Gaza.
Israeli forces and Palestinians also engaged in combat in the occupied West Bank.
As food, water, and shelter become scarce for the civilian population of Gaza, the United Nations has expressed grave alarm about the humanitarian situation. Even though some aid does reach Gaza, it is far insufficient to resolve the issue.
Palestinians look at damaged vehicles near the site of Israeli strikes on a house in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 23, 2023.—Reuters
According to the Gazan health ministry, approximately 5,087 Palestinians have died as a result of Israeli bombings over the past two weeks, including 2,055 children.
The cross-border attack on Israeli communities by Hamas militants on October 7 that resulted in deaths and hostage-taking was what sparked the present Israeli bombardment.
Conflicts have been reported in Gaza by both Israel and Hamas.
According to Israeli reports, its ground forces only occasionally launched raids to take out Palestinian assailants, while bombings were concentrated on locations where Hamas was allegedly planning future attacks.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israeli military, revealed that these raids sought out terrorist organizations and gathered data on hostages held by Hamas.
Furthermore, it is unclear how such an invasion might proceed.
With Iran’s assistance, Hamas has amassed a sizable arsenal, and Israeli forces would run the risk of being pushed into combat against an organization that has constructed a large tunnel system that Israeli troops refer to as the “Gaza Metro” in a dense urban environment.
According to Hagari, infantry and tank raids by (Israeli) forces took place during the night.
He stated of “deep” incursions into Gaza: “These raids are raids that kill squads of terrorists who are preparing for the next stage in the war.”
Drone assault
In a statement released on Sunday, Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, the armed branch of Hamas, said that its soldiers had engaged an Israeli armored unit east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
“Fighters engaged with the infiltrating force, destroying two bulldozers and a tank and forced the force to withdraw, before they returned safely to base,” claimed the statement.
On Monday, it claimed that drones had also been used to target two Israeli military outposts in southern Israel. According to the Israeli military, two drones that were trying to enter Israel from Gaza were discovered and stopped.
Israel claims that this time around, it would use more force than ever before to combat Hamas, but the Palestinian organization has previously shown that it is capable of taking Israel by surprise and will be using strong weapons while fighting in a crowded urban environment.
What horrors lie in store for Israel in Gaza
Based on what transpired during Israeli operations in 2008 and 2014, a large network of deep tunnels, booby-traps, and weapons, including Russian-made Kornet anti-tank missiles, will lie in the way of Israel’s bunker-buster bombs and high-tech Merkava tanks.
The conflict is still quite tense and shows no signs of ending. Although Israel has gathered troops and armored vehicles near its border with Gaza, it is unclear when a ground assault would occur.
With a vast network of tunnels, the fight is being fought in heavily populated urban areas.
The growing violence has alarmed the international community, particularly the United States.
Humanitarian organizations are straining to help individuals impacted by the fighting, and the United Nations has urged for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
There is rising concern that the Israel-Hamas confrontation may spark a larger conflict in the region as the situation in the area remains tense, particularly in light of Hezbollah’s involvement along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.
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