Gaza, MINA – Israeli soldiers withdrew from the areas they had reached in the Gaza Strip amidst fierce fighting with Palestinian fighters which left dozens of Israeli soldiers dead or injured.
Their withdrawal was carried out after Israel carried out a ground attack on the Gaza Strip in the last few days. This was quoted from Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.
Israeli warplanes, artillery, and warships have stepped up attacks on Gaza City and northern Gaza.
On the other hand, Hamas’ armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said it attacked Israeli soldiers, military vehicles and tanks with rocket-propelled grenades, especially in the area north of Gaza City.
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North Gaza
In the northern axis of Gaza, Israeli troops withdrew after being stationed in the Al-Maqqousi area north of Gaza City, and in the area north of the al-Shati refugee camp, northwest of Gaza City.
Israeli troops returned north and were stationed in the Al-Amrikiyah area, northwest of Beit Lahia, meaning the army withdrew 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) to positions in the area achieved on the first day of ground operations on 27 October.
According to Anadolu, the place where Israeli troops withdrew was an agricultural area far from settlements.
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Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obeida said in a recorded message that Hamas fighters were fighting Israeli forces in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, northwest of Gaza City, and in the southeastern Gaza City areas of Al-Zaytoun and Tal al-Hawa.
“Our mujahideen (fighters) destroyed 24 Israeli military vehicles in the last two days,” said Abu Obeida.
The Israeli army said on Saturday that it had lost 345 soldiers since fighting broke out in the Gaza Strip on October 7.
Spokesman Daniel Hagari said at a press conference four soldiers had been killed in Gaza, bringing the death toll to 345.
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South Gaza
South of Gaza City, the army continued to shell areas in the Al-Zaytoun and Tal al-Hawa neighborhoods with warplanes and artillery.
Israeli troops remain stationed 500 meters (1,640 feet) from Gaza’s coastal road, known as Al-Rasheed Street southwest of Gaza City.
Al-Qassam Brigades said they were fighting Israeli forces in the southern axis of Gaza, and announced that they hit Israeli tanks with “Konkurs” anti-tank missiles.
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Where are the Israeli troops heading?
Based on Israeli military ground operations, the Israeli army attempted to advance from the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood towards the northern part of Gaza.
It appears from the scale of damage caused in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood that they are preparing a ground attack from the area.
The plan is similar to the ground operation in Gaza in 2008-2009 which lasted for 23 days when Israeli troops advanced from eastern Gaza into the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood.
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At that time, Israeli troops reached the Al-Quds Hospital area in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood. The area has been the target of heavy Israeli bombardment in recent days, especially in the area around Al-Quds Hospital.
“Israel will continue its operations in Gaza until it achieves victory, even if it takes a full year,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said on Saturday.
“We will remain in Gaza until we win, even if it takes a year,” Galant said in a public address broadcast by the Israel Broadcasting Authority.
“After this war, there are no longer any threats in Gaza that can terrorize Israel from its southern border. We will have full operational freedom to act along those lines,” according to an Israeli media source.
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The death toll in Israel’s offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7 is 9,500 people, including 3,900 children and 2,509 women, Salama Marouf, head of the Gaza Media Office, said.
Nearly 1,540 Israelis have been killed, according to official figures. (T/RE1/P2)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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