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The military and strategic expert, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, considered that the Israeli occupation’s acknowledgment that it had not defeated the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), in the northern Gaza Strip is an acknowledgment of a fact that paves the way for a new expanded operation through which it aims to control the northern Gaza Valley.
Al-Duwairi added that the occupation seeks, through various sources, to use this to support its approach to absolute control over the northern Gaza Valley, with the aim of making it a buffer zone devoid of residents.
The American New York Times newspaper quoted the commander of the Israeli Nahal Brigade as saying that “Israel did not completely defeat Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip, and that it must do more there.” It also quoted an Israeli military intelligence officer that at least 5 Thousands of Qassam fighters are still present in the northern Gaza Strip.
Al-Duwairi explained in a military analysis for Al Jazeera that the Al-Qassam Brigades in the Zaytoun neighborhood, which has been witnessing fierce confrontations during the recent period, have been in a state of daily clashes for more than 110 days, which is revealed in the clips broadcast by the resistance, as confirmed recently by Israeli occupation sources.
He pointed out that these brigades are clashing these days with two brigades of the occupation army, one of which is the 401st Armor Brigade and the other is the “Nahel” Brigade, both of which are supported by elite forces, while the Qassams continue to confront them with the capabilities they have that are not comparable to the known capabilities of the occupation army.
The military expert believes that what supports the occupation’s intention to launch a large-scale operation in the north is its construction of roads and its demand of civilians to migrate to what it considers safe areas in the south, ruling out at the same time the possibility of achieving its goals by tightening control over the northern regions.
Al-Duwairi considers the Battle of Al-Zaytoun to be the third major battle after the occupation army announced entry into the third phase. He expected the occupation army to begin its expanded operation if the decision was taken to end the Battle of Khan Yunis in the south, by directing part of its forces in that region to the north.
Regarding what Israeli analysts considered to be a sign of Hamas’ weakness, as it avoided direct confrontations in recent rounds of fighting, Al-Duwairi confirmed that this is contrary to the reality on the ground, as the resistance sees its greatest chance of confrontation from a distance as zero, which is proven by the clips it publishes periodically.
Regarding the battle of Khan Yunis in the south, the military expert believes that it lasted in a way that the occupation army did not expect, after it made a series of mistakes that led to it, and its forces rebuilt it 9 times, the last of which was during the past 48 hours.
Source: Al Jazeera