The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have officially announced the attainment of “operational control” over the Shejaiya area in Gaza City, a location that witnessed intense clashes during the ground offensive against Hamas. According to a statement from the IDF, the 32nd Division successfully dismantled Hamas’ “core capabilities” in Shejaiya, with ongoing limited operations aimed at destroying Hamas infrastructure and eliminating any remaining operatives.
The IDF reported encountering and neutralizing numerous Hamas operatives who engaged in gunfire and explosives during the combat in Shejaiya. Tragically, a Hamas ambush led to the loss of nine soldiers, including two senior officers, as reported by The Times of Israel. The IDF disclosed the demolition of several subterranean shafts found in various facilities, including residences, educational institutions, medical facilities, and armaments.
Golani Brigade troops raided the homes of senior Hamas members in Shejaiya, seizing intelligence materials from the Shejaiya prison. The IDF highlighted that terrorists launched an attack on southern Israel from the headquarters of Hamas’ Shejaiya unit on October 7, which was subsequently taken over by the 188th Armoured Brigade.
Simultaneously, the Paratroopers Brigade uncovered numerous underground shafts and demolished over 100 buildings utilized by Hamas in the region. The brigade apprehended a Hamas company commander and terrorists involved in the October 7 incident who surrendered themselves. The IDF also expanded its ground operations in the central Gaza Strip, with the 99th Division conducting operations south of Gaza City to establish “operational control” over Gaza City and the central refugee camps.
The 99th Division reportedly targeted Hamas’s Nuseirat battalion, resulting in casualties, and destroyed the organization’s infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon caches. An airstrike targeted a Hamas cell launching RPGs from a municipal building, according to the IDF. The Yiftah Brigade of the division continued efforts to remove Hamas infrastructure from the western areas of Gaza City.
