In a significant escalation of the Israel-Gaza conflict, Israeli forces have intensified their ground operation across Gaza, with a strategic focus on the southern city of Khan Younis. This development follows continuous tank fire and aerial bombardment reported throughout yesterday in Khan Younis, as confirmed by eyewitnesses via the Telegram application. The importance of Khan Younis to Hamas is underscored by its intricate network of tunnels and its connection to Hamas's leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar.
This strategic focus on Khan Younis aligns with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's assertion last month that the city serves and has served as Hamas's headquarters. This seems to be the prevailing thought now despite the discovery of an extensive tunnel network and command center beneath Shifa hospital by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Meanwhile, the IDF continues to push south towards Khan Younis, emphasizing its criticality in Hamas operations.
"We haven't reached the heart of the "Swords Of Steel" War yet. Khan Yunis, in the southern part of Gaza, is the real main headquarters of Hamas. That's where the leadership is, it's hiding, they have bunkers and command and dispatch positions." Ehud Olmert #Israel #Gaza… pic.twitter.com/qf0lqUQNkW
— Eli Dror (@edrormba) November 18, 2023
The situation in Gaza's southern city remains tense, with Hamas fighters engaging Israeli troops just 2 kilometers from the city. The densely populated nature of the area has raised concerns in the West about potential civilian casualties. Amid these concerns, the IDF has taken the unprecedented step of releasing a detailed map that segments the enclave into small grid squares, advising residents to evacuate areas marked for heavy fighting or strikes.
Overnight, the IDF executed 200 strikes across Gaza, indicating a persistent aerial bombardment of the strip. Notably, a ground unit destroyed a Hamas command center based in a school of all places in northern Gaza, with the IDF spokesperson stating, "The Negev Brigade destroyed a terrorist infrastructure set up in a school in Beit Hanon, from where an attack was launched against our forces." This is complemented by naval forces targeting Hamas observation posts in Gaza Harbour and ongoing IDF ground and air operations throughout the Gaza Strip. During this war Israel has discovered that United Nations facilities, as well as World Health Organization assets were being used for terror. Most famously of the alarming evidence was testimony from released hostages, some who were held in the private homes of United Nations Relief & Works Agency (UNRWA) employees as well as that of a a doctor.
#BigBreaking : Over 700 terrorists and their sympathisers hoorified in IDF's anti Terrorists operations in Gaza and Khan Yunis in the last 24 hours. This is the highest number in a single day since the start of the war.
— Baba Banaras™ (@RealBababanaras) December 3, 2023
More power to Israel. Remember, this is last #Gaza_War pic.twitter.com/9JLE1JLYTG
In addition, CCTV footage from within Shifa Hospital showed the complex not just being used by Hamas, but documented the willing complicity of the staff to assist the terror group in hiding hostages.
In another development, Israel has begun declaring some individuals previously listed as missing as "dead in captivity," a measure aimed at providing closure to anxious relatives. This follows a thorough investigation by a three-person medical committee, which examined video evidence from the 7 October Hamas attack, searching the images and videos of those taken to see who had mortal wounds or were in fact dead when loaded onto trucks to be taken into Gaza. They also relied on the testimonies from hostages released during the recent week-long Gaza truce. To date, the committee has declared seven civilians and an army colonel as dead in captivity, with additional reports emerging of another civilian death.
#BigBreaking : Over 700 terrorists and their sympathisers hoorified in IDF's anti Terrorists operations in Gaza and Khan Yunis in the last 24 hours. This is the highest number in a single day since the start of the war.
— Baba Banaras™ (@RealBababanaras) December 3, 2023
More power to Israel. Remember, this is last #Gaza_War pic.twitter.com/9JLE1JLYTG
Hagar Mizrahi, a health ministry official leading the panel, acknowledged the complexity of these designations, emphasizing their importance in providing answers to the families of the abducted.
Despite Israel's advancements in Gaza, the threat of rocket attacks persists. Sirens have been heard in Kibbutz Nirim, a community close to the Gaza border and 7km east of Khan Younis. While it is unconfirmed if Kibbutz Nirim is directly under rocket attack, the continuous firing of rockets into Israel by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad since the collapse of the recent ceasefire remains a concerning reality.
