ISLAMABAD: The Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing, claimed to have repelled an Israeli ground attack near Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip, reporting the destruction of an Israeli tank and two bulldozers.
In a statement on the Telegram messaging app, the group said that its “fighters engaged an armored Israeli force in a well-prepared ambush to the east of Khan Yunis, just moments after it crossed the border by a few meters.”
The statement further added: “The fighters bravely engaged with the infiltrating force and they returned to their bases safely.”
Approximately an hour ago, Israeli troops reportedly sought to enter the Gaza Strip with the intention of repairing the separation fence between Gaza and Israel.
However, upon entering the territory, they found themselves ensnared in a Palestinian-made trap. This military ambush posed significant challenges for the Israeli soldiers, as they came under direct fire from Palestinian fighters. According to the Israeli authorities, this attack had a substantial impact on their forces.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army said that armed Palestinians had “opened fire on troops operating on the western side of the Gaza Strip border fence” and one of their tanks shelled the cell.
Netanyahu’s Warning to Hezbollah
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stern warning on Sunday, stating that Hezbollah would commit a grave error if it initiated a war with Israel. Netanyahu emphasized that such an action would result in Israel delivering an overwhelming and devastating response, causing severe consequences for both Hezbollah and Lebanon, during his visit to troops in northern Israel near the Lebanon border.
Unrest Grows in West Bank Amid Gaza Conflict
Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza has led to growing unrest in the occupied West Bank, where Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas is facing mounting anger from the population. The 88-year-old leader is perceived as disconnected from the rising desperation among the Palestinian people. The recent Israeli response to Hamas attacks on October 7 has further exacerbated this discontent. Following a rocket strike on a Gaza hospital, hundreds of Palestinians staged a rare demonstration, demanding Abbas’s resignation. However, security forces dispersed the protest.
Abbas has been at the helm of the Palestinian Authority (PA) for 18 years. He wields limited authority in the West Bank and none in Gaza, where Hamas violently seized control in 2007. On the global stage, Abbas has clung to the unfulfilled promises of the 1993 Oslo Accords. The PA was initially envisioned as a step toward an independent Palestinian state, but negotiations have been deadlocked for more than a decade.
