New Delhi, December 7, 2023: In a significant escalation of hostilities, Israeli troops engaged in intense combat with Hamas in the heart of southern Gaza’s main city. The military operation, involving the Israeli Army, Air Force, and Navy, targeted the suspected hiding place of a mastermind behind the October 7 attacks. The offensive has forced thousands of displaced civilians to seek shelter on the border and in a desolate seaside area within the besieged enclave.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) released a statement confirming the operation, stating that several Hamas operatives were killed in the strikes conducted in Khan Younis. According to the IDF, during operations in Jabalya, troops carried out a targeted raid on a military compound belonging to Hamas’ Central Jabalya Battalion, resulting in the elimination of a number of terrorists.
The IDF also reported the discovery of a network of underground tunnels, purportedly used as a weapons storage facility and training area by Hamas. Videos released by the IDF depicted missiles destroying buildings in Khan Yunis, with ground troops conducting door-to-door searches for Hamas operatives and hidden tunnels.
Israel’s naval forces joined the offensive, striking several compounds with precise ammunition and firing shells, accusing them of being Hamas military bases. General Yaron Finkelman, the commander of the Israeli Defence Forces Southern Command, described the day as the most intense since the beginning of the ground operation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video statement, disclosed that Israeli forces had encircled the house of Hamas leader Yahya Al-Sinwar in Khan Younis. Netanyahu asserted, “His house may not be his fortress, and he can escape, but it’s only a matter of time before we get him.” Al-Sinwar is accused of being one of the masterminds behind the October 7 attacks on Israel, which resulted in the death of 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the taking of approximately 240 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.
The October 7 attacks marked the deadliest in Israel’s history, prompting the declaration of war on Hamas with the commitment to eradicate the group and secure the release of all hostages. The ongoing conflict has already left much of northern Gaza in ruins, displacing 1.9 million people, as reported by UN figures.
As the fighting intensifies, civilians who initially sought refuge in Khan Yunis are now being displaced further south towards Rafah on the border with Egypt and the desolate seaside area of the enclave. The situation remains highly volatile, with both sides engaged in a fierce and destructive confrontation.
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