Israel Admits Hamas Capabilities in Gaza Are Still Largely Intact

Gaza, MINA – Amid the escalating resistance in Gaza, the Israeli army acknowledged the effectiveness of Hamas’ ongoing military operations, particularly in Beit Hanoun, where casualties continue to mount, Palestine Chronicle reported.

The Israeli army has acknowledged that Hamas’ military capabilities in Beit Hanoun remain largely intact, Israeli media reported, as 16 Israeli soldiers were killed in the northern Gaza area in recent days.

“The city of Beit Hanoun claimed the lives of five Israeli soldiers today (Monday), joining ten others killed in the city… in just over a week,” said a report by the Israel Hayom newspaper, cited by Anadolu Agency.

According to the newspaper, the number of Israeli soldiers killed since the military campaign began in early October 2024 has risen to 55, with 16 deaths in Beit Hanoun alone.

On Monday, the Israeli military reported that five soldiers were killed and eight others seriously injured when a building in Beit Hanoun exploded.

An unnamed Israeli military officer told the newspaper that Beit Hanoun was heavily bombarded during the first attack on the city in October 2023, which resulted in the destruction of much of the area, Anadolu reported. One soldier was killed and another wounded in the initial attack.

“There are now unimaginable Israeli casualties in Beit Hanoun,” the officer said, according to the report.

The report noted that the military now acknowledges that Hamas’ local command network remains operational and that its commanders are still able to issue attack orders.

Hamas reportedly employs guerrilla warfare tactics, with small units evading Israeli forces and launching attacks. Israel Hayom added that this strategy “often works,” Anadolu reported.

Also on Monday, the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing, launched a major attack on an Israeli military unit of 25 soldiers in the Shaboura camp, located in the center of Rafah, southern Gaza.

According to a statement posted on their Telegram account, the Qassam fighters ambushed the Israeli troops as they were entrenched inside a building in the Al-Najili area.

The brigades said they detonated minefields placed along two Israeli troop carriers, effectively targeting reinforcements sent to rescue the trapped soldiers.

The attack resulted in casualties, and clashes continued into the night with the targeted building still burning. The action was part of a wider intensification of resistance operations across Gaza, with the northern region witnessing increased resistance activity.

Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, stressed in a statement that the losses suffered by Israeli forces in northern Gaza were much higher than officially acknowledged.

He further stated that the increasing number of casualties on the Israeli side signified a weakening of Israel’s stance, with reports indicating that the Israeli military was struggling to deal with the tactical effectiveness of the resistance.

Abu Obeida’s statement came as ceasefire and prisoner exchange negotiations intensified, highlighting the resilience of the resistance and increasing pressure on the Israeli government. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)