AhlulBayt News Agency: Hamas has warned that any further Israeli advance into Gaza City will turn the area into a “graveyard,” as six Israeli soldiers were killed in separate incidents during the ongoing ground invasion.
The Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, issued a statement calling the conflict a “costly war of attrition” and warned that the fate of Israeli captives depends on Israel’s military decisions.
The statement, released in Hebrew, said Hamas fighters are stationed across Gaza City neighborhoods, ready to confront Israeli troops.
It added that Israeli captives are dispersed throughout Gaza City and their safety cannot be guaranteed while Prime Minister Netanyahu continues his aggressive campaign.
On Thursday, Israeli tanks pushed deeper into northern Gaza, with residents reporting phone and internet disruptions as forces approached central Gaza City.
Medical staff at Al-Shifa Hospital reported receiving 33 bodies of victims killed in Israeli airstrikes.
The Israeli military confirmed that four soldiers were killed and three injured earlier in Rafah, southern Gaza.
Initial reports said the casualties occurred when a Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb while escorting a bulldozer in Rafah’s Jenina neighborhood.
Separately, two Israeli soldiers were shot dead at a border crossing between the occupied West Bank and Jordan by a Jordanian national.
The attacker arrived in a truck and opened fire on Israeli troops. The soldiers later died from their injuries, according to Israel’s ambulance service.
Israeli journalist Avi Ashkenazi from Maariv acknowledged that despite repeated efforts, Hamas fighters remain deeply entrenched in Rafah’s ruins.
Ashkenazi reported that although Israeli forces have twice claimed control of Rafah, Hamas continues to resist fiercely, turning the city into a battlefield.
He described intense clashes on Thursday, including three firefights and a deadly roadside bomb attack on an Israeli vehicle.
Ashkenazi wrote that Hamas is fighting to the last weapon, adapting guerrilla tactics to challenge a larger and better-equipped Israeli army.
The battle for Rafah highlights Hamas’ resilience despite Israel’s superior firepower and destruction of urban infrastructure.
Since the war began in October 2023 with Hamas’ surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, Israel has suffered significant losses in troops and morale.
Palestinian fighters have used tunnel networks, ambushes, and explosives to inflict heavy damage and disrupt Israeli advances.
These tactics have led to the destruction or capture of numerous Israeli tanks, vehicles, drones, and surveillance equipment.
Analysts now say Palestinian resistance has reshaped the war’s trajectory, trapping Israeli forces in a prolonged and costly conflict.
/129
Your Comment