JERUSALEM. The Israeli military announced the end of its operations in the Jabalia area of north Gaza following days of intense combat and over 200 airstrikes. As Israeli forces withdraw, they are intensifying efforts in Rafah, the southern city they describe as the last major stronghold of Hamas battalions.
During the operation in Rafah, Israeli troops uncovered caches of rocket launchers, other weapons, and Hamas tunnel shafts. The military’s offensive aims to dismantle the militant combat units entrenched in the city near the Egyptian border.
The Israeli military provided an update on the fierce fighting in Jabalia, stating that troops had completed their mission and withdrawn to prepare for future operations in Gaza. Throughout the operation, Israeli forces recovered the bodies of seven hostages taken by Hamas militants during the October 7 incursion into Israel, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reports that over 36,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israel’s air and land offensive, which has left much of the densely populated enclave in ruins.
A senior Israeli security official stated that Israel will not agree to any ceasefire unless it includes the return of surviving hostages. On Thursday, Hamas indicated a willingness to negotiate an exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, provided the fighting stops.
In the densely populated district of Jabalia, which is home to many refugees from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and their descendants, the Israeli military claims that Hamas turned the area into a “fortified combat compound.” Israeli forces reportedly killed hundreds of militants, seized large weapon caches, and destroyed rocket launchers during close-quarter combat. Underground, they disabled a 10-kilometer tunnel network filled with weapons and killed Hamas’ district battalion commander.
The Israeli military attributes the high civilian casualties to Hamas embedding fighters in residential areas, a claim Hamas denies.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pledge to eliminate Hamas as a political and military force has been challenged by the group’s deep integration into Gaza’s society. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Israel to develop a post-war plan for Gaza to ensure long-term stability and prevent a resurgence of Hamas.
Fighting Intensifies in Rafah
Israeli tanks advanced into central Rafah on Tuesday, launching a series of probing operations. The army reported finding longer-range rockets and stocks of rocket-propelled grenades, explosives, and ammunition during “intelligence-based operational activities” in the city near the Egyptian border.
Last week, Hamas showcased its resilience by launching missiles at Tel Aviv for the first time in months. On Friday, Islamic Jihad, a smaller militant ally of Hamas, claimed to have fired mortar bombs at Israeli forces near the Salah al-Din Gate on Rafah’s southern edge.
Rafah, the last major city in Gaza not yet under Israeli control, had been a refuge for over one million displaced Palestinians. However, most have evacuated following Israeli warnings of an impending assault.
International condemnation has grown over Israel’s plans to attack Rafah while it remains populated with displaced civilians. The risks were highlighted on Sunday when an Israeli airstrike targeting Hamas commanders near Rafah ignited a fire that killed at least 45 people sheltering in tents.
As the conflict continues and Gaza’s infrastructure collapses, malnutrition is spreading among the 2.3 million residents, with the United Nations warning of an impending famine due to severely limited aid deliveries.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
