DaysofPal- A fierce battle erupted in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City early Friday between Israeli occupation forces and Palestinian resistance, leaving one Israeli soldier killed, at least 11 others seriously wounded, and four reported missing after an ambush by Palestinian resistance fighters.
According to Israeli media, a special unit of the Israeli occupation forces came under heavy fire during a military incursion in the area, as fighters from Al-Qassam Brigades used machine guns, anti-armor rockets against the Israeli tanks and vehicles.
The sudden ambush disrupted the Israeli forces and inflicted significant losses, forcing Israeli helicopters to evacuate casualties under intense cover fire.
Hebrew sources confirmed that the Israeli occupation forces invoked the “Hannibal Directive” during the clash, a military protocol designed to prevent soldiers from being captured, killing them along with their captors.
Analysts say the move highlights the deep Israeli concern over the political and military consequences of any new capture of Israeli soldiers in Gaza.
The battle raises the overall Israeli military death toll in Gaza to 455 since the war began on October 7, 2023.
In a statement, Abu Obeida, spokesperson for Hamas’s military wing, warned that the Israeli crimes aiming at imposing control over Gaza would be a “disaster” for its leadership.
He added that resistance fighters remain in a state of “high preparedness and morale” and suggested more captures could occur if the Israeli occupation continues its ground operations.
On the fate of Israeli prisoners already held in Gaza, Abu Obeida said they are kept under the same battlefield conditions as resistance fighters.
The incident comes amid escalating Israeli crimes against civilians in Gaza, aiming at destroying the city and displacing its people, as the Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people has been going on for over 694 days so far.
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