ISRAEL/GAZA: Street clashes intensified in Gaza City as Hamas combatants utilised tunnels for surprise attacks against Israeli forces, while the United States advocated for Palestinian governance of Gaza in the post-war period, countering Israeli assertions of indefinite security control.
The Israeli military reported its troops’ advancement into the heart of Gaza City, Hamas’ primary stronghold and the largest city in the coastal enclave, while the Islamist group stated that its fighters had inflicted substantial losses.
Hamas’ military wing released a video on Wednesday depicting intense street battles in Gaza City among the ruins of bombed buildings.
Israeli tanks have faced substantial resistance from Hamas fighters who utilize underground tunnels for surprise attacks, as reported by sources linked to Iran-backed Hamas and the separate Islamic Jihad militant group.
Israel struck Gaza in retaliation for a cross-border Hamas raid on southern Israel on October 7, during which gunmen, according to Israeli estimates, killed 1,400 people—mostly civilians—and captured over 240 prisoners.
As of Wednesday, Palestinian authorities reported 10,569 fatalities, with approximately 40% of them being children. Israel has stated that 33 of its soldiers have lost their lives.
Palestinian-led governance
As the Israel-Hamas conflict enters its second month, discussions between Washington and Israeli and Arab leaders have commenced regarding the future of the Gaza Strip, potentially without Hamas in control.
Although a specific plan has not been unveiled, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has outlined Washington’s anticipations for the besieged coastal territory.
During a press conference in Tokyo, Blinken stated, “No reoccupation of Gaza after the conflict ends. No attempt to blockade or besiege Gaza. No reduction in the territory of Gaza.”
Blinken said that there might be a requirement for a “transitional period” following the conflict but stressed that the governance in the aftermath “must involve Palestinian-led administration and the unification of Gaza with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority.”
The Palestinian Authority (PA), which holds limited self-governance in certain areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, maintains that Gaza, under the rule of Hamas since 2007, is an integral component of its vision for a prospective Palestinian state.
Exiled Hamas commander Saleh al-Arouri told Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV on Wednesday that his militants are committed to defeating Israeli soldiers in foot combat in Gaza.
“The more Israel spreads and expands on the ground, the deeper its losses will become,” he said.
A clip from the Hamas footage released on Wednesday depicted fighters in Gaza running past piles of rubble and halting to shoot Israeli tanks with shoulder-propelled missiles. One other image depicted them firing weapons from atop skips and buildings.
Israel destroys tunnel
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the chief spokesman for the Israeli military, declared on Wednesday that “Hamas has lost control in the north” of Gaza.
He stated that Israel’s military engineers were destroying Hamas’ tunnel network, which runs hundreds of kilometres (miles) beneath Gaza, with explosive devices.
According to the military, 130 subterranean shafts have already been demolished. Israel has held Hamas accountable for the murders of civilians in Gaza, claiming that the group hides its weapons and operational hubs in residential areas and uses Gazans as human shields.
On Wednesday, the Israeli military brought foreign journalists to the outskirts of Gaza City. Journalists witnessed a completely destroyed area with war scars on every building in sight.
Walls were destroyed by explosions, palm trees were torn and damaged, and the facades were peppered with bullet holes and shrapnel.
Lieutenant Colonel Ido, the deputy commander of the 401st Brigade, who chose not to disclose his last name, mentioned that when the soldiers arrived at these buildings, all the families had already evacuated.
“So we know that everyone here is our enemy. We have not seen any civilians here. Only Hamas,” he stated, standing in a severely damaged, pink children’s bedroom.
Soldiers on the press tour reported that beneath the family apartment, there were two levels of workshops allegedly used for manufacturing weapons, including drones found in five wooden containers. However, the veracity of this assertion could not be confirmed.
The Israeli military has consistently urged residents to leave the northern areas to avoid getting trapped in the ongoing violence.
On Wednesday, an Israeli airstrike near a hospital in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza resulted in the reported deaths of at least 19 people, according to the enclave’s interior ministry.
United Nations representatives and G7 global leaders have intensified their calls for a temporary humanitarian ceasefire in the conflict, aiming to provide assistance to the civilians in Gaza who are facing shortages of essential supplies like food, medicine, and fuel.
A source briefed on the talks said on Wednesday that negotiations mediated by Qatar, the home base of senior Hamas political leaders, are attempting to obtain the release of 10 to 15 hostages in exchange for a one- to two-day humanitarian halt in Gaza.
Also Read: Israeli Forces Conduct Operations to Locate Hamas in Gaza City Tunnels
