The Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Herzi Al-Khallewi, announced that the Israeli army has entered the third phase of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip and is currently besieging the Khan Younis area, the largest city in southern Gaza, where the Israeli authorities believe there are many Hamas leaders. "Sixty days after the outbreak of the war, our forces are encircling the Khan Younis area in the southern Gaza Strip, while we continue to consolidate our gains in the northern Gaza Strip," he said. "We have entered the third phase of the war, having captured many Hamas strongholds in the northern Gaza Strip, and now we are taking action against their strongholds in the south," Halevi added. He also noted that the Israeli army had carried out an attack on Hamas in the central Gaza Strip with a combination of air, sea and land forces. Israeli ground forces have moved into the heart of the Khan Younis area, inflicting enormous damage on Hamas, and military pressure continues to mount. Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli forces announced an expansion of ground operations after failed talks to extend the armistice, and the heaviest clashes took place in the heart of the Khan Younis area in the southern Gaza Strip. The commander of the Israeli Army's Southern Command, General Yalong Finkelman, said his forces were experiencing their most intense day since the ground operation began in Gaza at the end of October.
At the same time, fighting continues to be fierce in northern Gaza, and the Israeli Army continues to conduct ground operations in the area. The IDF said the Israeli army had advanced into Jabaliya in northern Gaza, and the 551st Brigade and the Navy's Shayetet 13 commando carried out a raid on the Hamas's general security headquarters in the area. However, the third phase of Israel's war did not start well, and the Israeli army suffered its worst day when Hamas destroyed 17 Israeli tanks. On December 5, Hamas declared "heavy fighting" in areas ranging from Jabaliya to the community of Shujaya in eastern Gaza City and eastern Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. In Khan Younis alone, they destroyed at least 17 Israeli military vehicles, struck an Israeli special forces force of eight soldiers with missiles, and shot and wounded six Israeli soldiers. The Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff, Herzi Al-Halewi, announced that the Israeli army had entered the third phase of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip and was currently encircling the Khan Younis area, the largest city in southern Gaza, where the Israeli authorities believed to harbor many Hamas leaders.
"Sixty days after the outbreak of the war, our forces are encircling the Khan Younis area in the southern Gaza Strip, while we continue to consolidate our gains in the northern Gaza Strip," he said. "We have entered the third phase of the war, having seized several Hamas strongholds in the northern Gaza Strip, and now we are operating against the southern strongholds," Halevi added. He also noted that the Israeli army had carried out an attack on Hamas in the central Gaza Strip with a combination of air, sea and land forces. Israeli ground forces have moved into the heart of the Khan Younis area, inflicting enormous damage on Hamas, and military pressure continues to mount. Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli forces announced an expanded ground operation, after the previous truce talks failed and the fiercest clashes erupted in the center of the Khan Younis area in the southern Gaza Strip. General Yaaron Finkelman, commander of the Israeli Army's Southern Command, said his forces had experienced their most intense day since the ground operation began in Gaza at the end of October. Meanwhile, fighting continues to rage in northern Gaza, where the Israeli Army is continuing its ground operations.
The IDF said the Israeli army had advanced into Jabaliya, north Gaza, and the 551st Brigade and the Navy's Shayetet 13 commando carried out a raid on the Hamas's general security headquarters in the area. However, the third phase of Israel's war did not start well, and the Israeli army suffered its worst day when Hamas destroyed 17 Israeli tanks. On December 5, Hamas declared "heavy fighting" in areas ranging from Jabaliya to the community of Shujaya in eastern Gaza City and eastern Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. In Khan Younis alone, they destroyed at least 17 Israeli military vehicles, attacked an Israeli special forces force of eight soldiers with missiles, killed six Israeli soldiers and wounded six Israeli soldiers. According to official Israeli figures, 80 Israeli soldiers have been killed in combat since Israel's ground offensive against Gaza in late October, bringing the number of Israeli soldiers killed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to 405. Since 7 October, the Israeli army has launched tens of thousands of strikes on the Gaza Strip, targeting the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Israel's military operations have created a serious humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Allegedly, the Israeli army dropped more than 50,000 tons of bombs, destroying about 520,000 homes, 69 schools, 121 ** buildings and 100 ** buildings, including attacks on civilian homes, hospitals, schools and other institutions. For example, on 5 December, Israeli airstrikes on the city of Deir Barah in the central Gaza Strip destroyed a building, killing at least 45 civilians and injuring dozens, most of them children. The information centre in the Gaza Strip** said in a statement on 5 December that Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip has killed at least 16,248 people, including 7,112 children and 4,885 women, since 7 October. In addition, 43,616 people were injured, while 7,600 may be buried under the rubble.