Fighting on the ground in the Gaza Strip has been ongoing for a long time, during which the Israeli army has not been able to achieve a decisive victory. On the contrary, the Palestinian resistance has not been eliminated within the encirclement, but has shown tenacious vitality on the battlefield, leaving the Israeli army in a difficult position.
When the Israeli army invaded the Gaza Strip, they were eager for a quick victory, but reality gave them a dampening. Today, they find themselves in the grip of the Palestinian resistance, and they are almost in a predicament. As of December 30, 2023, the Qassam Brigade, part of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, announced that members of their death squads had successfully destroyed 275 Israeli tanks. This astonishing result is equivalent to the total annihilation of several Israeli armored brigades, and if other losses such as armored vehicles are included, Israel's armored forces have lost almost half.
In this war, Palestinian death squads have demonstrated a desperate tactic. They used rockets and mines to launch surprise attacks, mainly using anti-tank rockets as their main means. This tactic has already had remarkable results. Palestinian death squads have resorted to a method of fighting that is both desperate and efficient, even resorting to the tactic of sticking mines with their bare hands. During one of the battles**, a death squad fighter actually rushed to an Israeli tank, glued a magnetic anti-tank mine in his hand to the tank's turret, and then quickly withdrew, finally detonating the mine and successfully destroying the tank. This non-traditional tactical means is extremely rare in real combat and injects new elements into the entire battlefield.
* The footage also shows Palestinian death squads bravely firing anti-tank rockets from the balcony and firing directly at Israeli army tanks. What's even more shocking is that a daredevil's fighter put a mine on his bare hands, rushed to the Israeli tank, glued the magnetic anti-tank mine in his hand to the tank turret, and then quickly withdrew, finally detonating the mine and successfully destroying the tank. This tactical means is not only unique but also very effective.
In addition, the Palestinian death squads demonstrated their tactical skills in ambushing Israeli forces. In one section, they managed to destroy more than 10 Israeli tanks and armored vehicles, inflicting great losses on the Israeli army. However, the Palestinian side still does not fully control the battlefield and lacks the ability to completely destroy the Israeli army's equipment. Thus, there is a considerable probability that damaged Israeli tanks and armored vehicles will be returned to service after repair.
It is worth noting that in all the Palestinian-Israeli wars, Israel has always demonstrated a strong ability to repair the battlefield. Although the current losses may seem enormous, it is doubtful whether they will be enough to seriously affect the armored forces that Israel has equipped. The whole situation is still in turmoil, and the future development is interesting.
The Palestinian armed forces discovered the weakness of the Israeli army and successfully struck at the weakness of the Israeli army, destroying a large number of tanks and other armored targets. In fact, the tactical qualities of the Israeli army are clearly not outstanding enough. Israeli tanks lacked infantry support during combat operations and were unable to clear enemy infantry close to the tanks. Due to design flaws, the tank had a blind spot at close range, making it impossible to detect approaching enemies. Once the enemy approached, the tanker did not dare to poke his head out to observe the battlefield, making the tank an easy target. In contrast, the Palestinian death squads showed excellent fighting qualities, resolute psychological qualities and excellent technical skills.
The problem with the Israeli army is that they do not pay attention to the coordinated operation of infantry and tanks, especially on urban battlefields. Infantry and tanks must work closely together to maximize their combat effectiveness. Regrettably, however, the Israeli army has so far been unable to resolve this issue. During the battle, the Israeli Merkava main battle tank was vulnerable when attacked by RPGs in street battles.
Now the Israeli army is aware of the seriousness of the problem. Recalling the battle, they mentioned the terrible problem of fire suppression. An officer from the "Gorani" brigade pointed out during the fighting in the Shujaya neighborhood of Gaza City that the Israeli army faces difficult terrain in street fighting, which provides many opportunities for Palestinian death squads to ambush. Tanks almost became targets in street battles.
At present, the fighting is becoming more and more intense, and the two sides have started a desperate struggle. It is surprising that the Israeli army actually took action against ordinary people. However, despite this, the Israeli army has not yet taken advantage of the Gaza Strip, and although they have not yet completely failed, they are not without a chance to make amends. Israel is trying to disguise reality rather than correct mistakes, and as of December 30, 2023, Israeli forces arrested Palestinian civilians in Gaza, stripped them naked, and asked why they did not leave. They continue to perpetrate their oppression, without any will of translation or resolution, and attempt to completely deport Palestinians to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, which does nothing but to create hatred and continue to fuel the conflict between the two sides.