Footage released by the IDF Spokesperson's Unit shows Maglan Special Forces operating in Khan Younis, a city located in southern Gaza.
More stories:
Moving in small, highly maneuverable teams, soldiers move from house to house, clearing passages and small living quarters one at a time and engaging in close quarters combat with Hamas terrorists. In one of the homes, they located weapons, armored vests and various types of ammunition used by Hamas.
Maglan operating in Khan Younis
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
A video released by the IDF shows the 55th Brigade using ledges as stabilizing points for their rifles, opening fire on terrorists located across the road in houses 50-100 yards away. Mortar shells and tank fire also were used to soften resistance in certain pockets of fighting, to clear the path for other soldiers so they could sprint across the road to enter those homes.
"After RPG missiles were fired from inside a building toward an IDF vehicle, IDF ground troops destroyed terrorist infrastructure located inside the building," the IDF Spokesperson Unit said in a statement. "Additionally, an anti-tank missile launch site where terrorist operatives were located was struck by the Israeli Air Force under direction from IDF ground forces. Over the last two days, IDF troops conducted operational activity in the Daraj Tuffah area and eliminated terrorists in both ground and aerial strikes."
"In a separate incident, terrorists fired at IDF troops from a building during operational activity, according to the IDF. "Following searches of the residence from which the shots were fired, the troops located dozens of weapons. IDF naval forces are also continuing to provide fire support to troops operating on the ground in the Gaza Strip."
Leveraging a deal
The goal of this intense fighting campaign is to put heavy pressure on Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar to change his mind and agree to a new hostage release deal, especially after various Hamas notables have repeatedly said the only way they'd agree to a deal is if Israel ceases all aggression in Gaza.
In addition, Israel is feeling international pressure to end the broad and expansive above-ground fighting campaign and wishes to shift gears toward a more targeted underground operation to take down Hamas inside their tunnels, eventually locating and annihilating Sinwar, as an operation of this kind will likely claim little to no civilian casualties.
There are many benefits to this sort of an operation. It facilitates a faster conclusion to the Gaza offensive, after which Israel can focus solely on the threat from Hezbollah from the north. It also eases moving humanitarian aid to civilians that have been pushed near the Rafah crossing, after it was Israel who told them to move there in the first place. It also helps smooth out the Joe Biden angle. The U.S. president is facing intense pressure to end the conflict, which also makes it easier for him to focus on the political front. After all, 2024 is an election year in the US and his poll numbers are currently far from flattering.