As we talk, the operations officer hands the radio earpiece to Col. Liron Batito, commander of the Givati Brigade. We’re seated in the brigade’s command center, housed in an abandoned building deep in the heart of Jabaliya. On the walls, screens display real-time updates of troop positions, enemy movements and live feeds from surveillance systems.
“A Tzabar detachment identified two terrorists approaching, likely with an anti-tank weapon,” Batito says calmly. “The battalion commander is already handling it,” he adds.
The Givati Brigade has been fighting for over a year now, beginning on October 7. On that grim Saturday, Col. Batito rushed from his home and fought alongside troops he managed to gather, first in Sderot and then in Kfar Aza. Apart from a single week of rotation, the brigade has remained in Gaza.
Now in Jabaliya, their mission is to dismantle a massive Hamas network that reemerged after IDF forces cleared the area early in the war. “Now the terrorists are waging urban guerrilla warfare against us, mostly in small groups of two or three,” explains Batito.
“But when we entered here, there were thousands. We’ve eliminated 1,000 and captured another 1,000, but a few hundred remain. Most are fanatics, Islamist jihadists. Some actively participated in the October 7 massacre and atrocities. They won’t surrender because they fear what we’ll do to them if they’re captured.”
Each Hamas cell operates within its own geographic area of responsibility, equipped with dozens of explosive devices and RPG launchers, according to Givati fighters. While they have inflicted casualties on IDF forces, Givati commanders have recently observed that Hamas operatives are facing a growing shortage of ammunition.
Preventing Hamas from rebuilding
The IDF is conducting a series of raids targeting enemy sites identified through intelligence provided by Shin Bet and Military Intelligence (Aman). These targets often include schools where women, children and the elderly have taken shelter, with terrorists attempting to hide among them.
Givati Brigade troops, typically transported in armored personnel carriers and supported by tanks, swiftly encircle such locations in under an hour. Once surrounded, the terrorists, realizing their situation, try to flee.
The soldiers make extensive use of various drones, including loudspeaker drones used to direct non-combatant civilians on how to evacuate safely. The drones also track fleeing terrorists, dropping explosives on them or guiding troops through the alleys in pursuit.
On the ground, speaking with commanders and soldiers, it becomes evident that claims of "ethnic cleansing" in northern Gaza, such as those made by former defense minister and IDF chief of staff Moshe Ya’alon, hold no merit.
The operations are strictly tactical, serving a dual purpose: applying pressure on Hamas, particularly regarding hostages, and preventing further regrouping or rebuilding efforts by Hamas in northern Gaza, roughly four kilometers from Kibbutz Netiv HaAsara and the city of Sderot.
Most of the roads currently being built by the IDF in Gaza are designed to facilitate rapid logistical and operational movement deep into the territory. Quick mobility makes it harder for terrorists to target Israeli forces.
While corridors like Netzarim and Philadelphi may carry strategic—and potentially political—significance, the majority of new roads are purely functional, ensuring secure movement through Gaza’s terrain, including its muddy winter conditions and for potential post-war operations.
As of now, there are no visible signs in Gaza of plans to implement calls from some coalition members to reestablish Israeli settlements in the territory. While some in the field believe the IDF should remain in Gaza to prevent Hamas from rebuilding, there is little enthusiasm for resettlement.
Meanwhile, the IDF is already operating in what commanders describe as the "third phase" of combat: swift raids by small detachments targeting terrorists identified through intelligence and eliminating those attempting to approach Israeli forces.
I joined Lt. Col. Matan Elgraby, commander of the Tzabar Battalion, in a Namer armored personnel carrier. On October 7, Elgraby was shot in the stomach while fighting terrorists in Kibbutz Kfar Aza but returned to his unit and has been continuously engaged in combat since summer.
As we travel down a narrow alley, every pile of rubble evokes memories. "Here, just last week, I lost a dear soldier, Ron Epshtein from Nesher, and here one of my company commanders was wounded," he says.
The Givati Brigade has lost 71 soldiers in this war, with the Tzabar Battalion alone mourning 17 fallen fighters and many others wounded.
Soldiers first
We stop about 100 meters behind the battalion’s forward unit, which had encountered militants while I was speaking with the brigade commander. Battalion commander Lt. Col. Matan Elgrabi fires a burst from a machine gun mounted on the Namer at suspicious movement. "We’ll eliminate them shortly with an airstrike," he says.
We stop a couple hundred feet behind the battalion’s forward unit, which had encountered terrorists while I was speaking with the brigade commander. Battalion commander Lt. Col. Elgraby fires a burst from a machine gun mounted on the Namer at suspicious movement. "We’ll eliminate them shortly with a combat strike," he says.
A "combat strike" means that an Air Force fighter jet would deliver precision munitions to destroy the building housing the terrorists. "Why risk soldiers when one bomb can achieve the goal?" Elgraby remarks. This tight coordination between branches and units is one of the most effective and innovative aspects of this war, significantly enhancing the safety of Israeli forces.
Not far behind us is the evacuation Namer. Paramedic Yariv, from Tel Aviv, shares how his team’s experience during the war has led to rapid medical evacuations, now bringing wounded soldiers to the border or airlifting them within 30 minutes, and to hospitals within an hour. Speed is crucial to saving lives, but equally vital are the fresh blood transfusions Yariv administers to critically wounded soldiers within minutes of their injury.
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Sitting with Yariv, a young man in his 20s, it’s hard not to admire his composure and confidence despite dealing with severe injuries. When I ask him, "Do you feel mental exhaustion?" he replies, "Of course, but we push through. We’re sensitive to it and intervene when we see signs in others. It happens often."
Elgraby explains that initial care for soldiers showing signs of mental fatigue is handled by their commanders. Many troops draw strength from the horrors they witnessed on October 7. "Anyone who saw what we did that day won’t forget and will fight to the end to ensure it never happens again," Elgarby says.
Another key source of resilience is the emotional support soldiers provide one another through camaraderie, commitment and deep bonds with their comrades in the company, battalion and brigade.
When asked what he prioritizes most besides completing the mission, Brigade commander Batito responds without hesitation: "The safety of my forces. I move slowly and act cautiously to minimize casualties among my men. The public should understand the fighting is slow because we are uprooting terrorist cells in an urban area, much of which had been leveled, where terrorists move stealthily from house to house. It may take another week or another month, but Jabaliya will fall."
“And what comes next?” I ask. "Gaza City?”
Batito pauses for a second. "There are many terrorists in Gaza City," he replies carefully. "And a brigade commander, Saad Haddad, who is organizing them. There’s plenty to do there."