Hamas Kills 9 Israeli Soldiers in Deadly Ambush, Says ‘Delusional’ to Omit Group from Postwar Gaza Plans – News18

In a sign that Hamas resistance is still strong in Gaza, the Palestinian terrorists carried out one of the deadliest single attacks on Israeli soldiers since the Gaza siege began, killing nine Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) officials in an urban ambush.

The ambush that occurred on Tuesday in Shijaiyah happened when Israeli troops were searching a cluster of buildings after they lost contact with four soldiers who came under Hamas firing. When the other IDF soldiers launched a rescue operation they were ambushed with heavy gunfire and explosives.

2023 Israel-Hamas War: Full Coverage

The total number of Israeli soldiers who died in the ongoing 2023 Israel-Hamas war has reached 115, with nine soldiers dead on Tuesday. Israel launched a ground offensive on Gaza to eliminate Hamas from the blockaded coastal enclave after the terrorist group killed over 1,200 Israelis in an unprecedented attack on October 7 and took over 250 people hostage.

Among the nine dead in Tuesday’s ambush were Col. Itzhak Ben Basat, 44, the most senior officer to have been killed in the ground operation, and Lt. Col. Tomer Grinberg, a battalion commander.

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Israel’s air and ground assault has killed more than 18,600 Palestinians, two-thirds of them women and children, according to Gaza’s health officials. Gaza City and surrounding towns have been pounded to ruins. Nearly 1.9 million people have been driven from their homes.

Israel also doubled down on its Gaza offensive and said it will continue on its mission despite international criticism. “We are continuing until the end, there is no question. I say this even given the great pain and the international pressure. Nothing will stop us, we will continue until the end, until victory, nothing less,” Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, referring to the condemnation from the global community and warnings given by changing public opinion about Israel by ally US.

Netanyahu has vowed to eliminate Hamas from the Gaza Strip and said he will do whatever is needed to achieve that objective. Netanyahu said entry of those who ‘support and finance terrorism’ will be barred in Gaza.

But Hamas’s ‘political wing’ chief Ismail Haniyeh said there is no point thinking that there will be a Gaza without Hamas. He said that any plans to omit Hamas from postwar Gaza plans is ‘delusional’. “Any arrangement in Gaza or in the Palestinian cause without Hamas or the resistance factions is a delusion,” Haniyeh said.

Palestinians Suffer

Palestinians, across all age groups, ranging from infants to old-age persons – wounded, internally displaced and without food, aid, water, medical services, and essential items – are suffering due the collapse of the healthcare system and humanitarian aid operations.

Non-governmental organisations (NGO) working in the area said they fear starvation and the spread of disease among displaced people. The UN warned the spread of diseases — including meningitis, jaundice and upper respiratory tract infections — had intensified.

Ameen Edwan told news agency AFP that his family was camped out with thousands in the grounds of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in central Gaza. “Rainwater seeped in. We couldn’t sleep. We tried to find nylon covers but couldn’t find any, so we resorted to stones and sand to keep the water out,” Edwan was quoted as saying by the news agency.

Ibrahim Arafat, a father of 13 who fled Shijaiyah, said the situation was “catastrophic” in the central city of Deir al-Balah.