Eyewitnesses on Monday reported violent clashes between Israeli soldiers and fighters from the Islamic militia Hamas in western Khan Younis. The fighting took place near two hospitals and in camps for refugees in the north of the Gaza Strip.
According to Israeli media reports, the military confirmed that it had made a major advance into an area west of Khan Younis to which it had not previously moved. The operation may take several days. The aim is to render Khan Younis' Hamas brigade incapable of fighting. So far, 50 Hamas fighters, including a company commander, have been killed. The army said three soldiers were killed on the Israeli side.
The army is aware that it is operating in an extremely densely populated area, he said. At the same time, however, she is faced with the fact that Hamas terrorists repeatedly attack her from hospitals, mosques and residential areas.
Khan Younis is considered a Hamas stronghold. His leader in the Gaza Strip, Jihia al-Sinwar, is from there. As throughout the coastal area, Hamas also built an extensive tunnel system under the command of Khan Younis. However, it is not known where Al-Sinwar and his leadership are hiding.
Fighters also remain undaunted in northern Israel, on the border with Lebanon. The Israeli military and the Shiite Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon also reported shelling each other on Monday.
The Israeli army said fighter jets bombed a military building in Marun al-Ras in southern Lebanon where several “terrorists” were staying. A video was published showing the attack with a huge explosion and several subsequent explosions. The army emphasized that the detonations were an indication that weapons were there. There were new attacks in the cities of Maruahin, Chihine, Taibi, Tajir Harfa, as well as in Kfarkila and Blida.
Hezbollah, for its part, said it attacked three different targets in Israel. The militia has reported 167 deaths in its ranks since fighting began on October 7 following Hamas' bloody attack on Israel. Hezbollah's senior member, Lebanese lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah, said Israel had gone too far with its attacks in recent weeks and had learned nothing from previous fighting. “By the blood of every martyr who irrigated this land, thousands of mujahideen were born,” said Fadlallah. Mujahideen generally refers to fighters for Islamic groups.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant confirmed in a meeting in Tel Aviv with his French counterpart Sébastian Lecornu that Israel would continue to fire on Hezbollah until residents of northern Israel were once again safe from the neighboring country's attacks. Tens of thousands of Israelis have currently been transported from there to safe locations in other parts of the country. Israel calls for the withdrawal of Hezbollah militia from the border. “A war in the north will be a challenge for Israel, but it will be devastating for Hezbollah and Lebanon,” Galant warned.
Since the start of the war in Gaza, there have been repeated clashes between the Israeli army and militant groups such as Hezbollah in the Israeli-Lebanese border region. It is the worst escalation since the second Lebanon war in 2006.