In a daring operation on Sunday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) seized control of multiple sites in Gaza City, including luxurious residences of Hamas terrorists, their parliament, and police headquarters, revealing a cache of weapons and concealed entrances to underground tunnels.
The operation, involving Israeli paratroopers and armored units, was concentrated in the Rimal and Sheikh Ijlin neighborhoods of Gaza City, where Hamas has been in power since 2007.
The once-prosperous districts had largely been devastated by Israeli airstrikes since the commencement of the war last month. Nevertheless, the IDF reported that they encountered and eliminated several Hamas operatives in the area and conducted raids on the homes of affluent terrorists.
The Jerusalem Post stated that the IDF discovered 35 tunnel entrances in the region, providing access to Hamas’ extensive 300-mile underground network, in addition to numerous weapon caches.
Furthermore, the IDF’s Golani Infantry Brigade and 7th Armored Brigade successfully occupied Hamas’ parliament building, their entire government complex, and police headquarters, as reported by The Times of Israel.
The IDF also secured a university building in Gaza, which was allegedly being used to manufacture and develop weapons for the terrorist organization.
The Israeli army also seized a Hamas training base, command center, interrogation rooms, and detention cells.
Hamas has issued no official statement regarding the IDF’s operations in Sheikh Ijlin and Rimal as Gaza continues to experience frequent communication blackouts.
Sunday’s operations by the IDF are the most recent in a series of advances in the northern areas of the region, as Israel continues its efforts to dismantle Hamas following the terrorist group’s October 7th attack, which resulted in the loss of over 1,200 lives, predominantly Israeli civilians.
The war has reportedly claimed the lives of over 11,500 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-affiliated Health Ministry in Gaza. Moreover, an Israeli airstrike on a home in Jabalia on Sunday resulted in the death of at least 11 more Palestinians.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reported on Sunday that two schools in Gaza were struck by airstrikes within 24 hours, resulting in numerous casualties, including women and children.
Guterres highlighted the plight of Palestinian civilians seeking refuge in UN facilities throughout Gaza due to the escalating conflict. He reiterated the inviolability of these premises.
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, expressed concern over the shelters in Gaza becoming “collateral damage” in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Lazzarini decried the attacks on facilities housing families, including elderly people, parents, and children. He emphasized that these buildings, clearly identified by a blue UN flag, were designed to offer security and protection to civilians. The strikes, he said, demonstrate a complete disregard for humanity and a clear violation of the rules of war.
