162nd Division and 401st Brigade operations in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
The IDF said on Sunday that it completed a two-week raid in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, during which troops of the 401st Armored Brigade and additional forces of the 162nd Division uncovered and dismantled over 30 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror sites and eliminated over 100 operatives.
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According to the army, forces have apprehended dozens of terrorists who provided valuable information on the location of the terrorist organization's forces in the field. About a month after the first phase of fighting ended in the Zeitoun neighborhood, the forces destroyed 35 Hamas targets and were involved in dozens of clashes a day.
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IDF forces operating in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Following operations in Beit Lahia and the Gaza neighborhoods of Daraj, Tuffah, Al Rimal and Zeitoun, the IDF reported it completed 150 of the operation's targets. The Nahal Brigade will maintain control over the Netzarim Corridor, dividing northern and southern Gaza, as its ongoing mission in the Strip. Meanwhile, the 162nd Division will carry out similar operations in northern Gaza.
In the Zeitoun neighborhood, where about 1,000 Gazan civilians remain, forces discovered nearly 25 acres of launch sites and dozens of rockets. To avoid raising suspicion, terrorists move through the area unarmed. On one occasion, they took refuge in a civilian home and surrendered to an IDF drone.
The 162nd Division has executed intelligence-driven raids on Hamas targets in the Zeitoun neighborhood, situated between Shijaiyah to the east and Sheikh Ijlin to the west, over the last two weeks.
During one such operation targeting terrorist infrastructure, a Hamas cell launched a short-range anti-tank missile at the ground forces. This prompted a response from an Israeli Air Force jet, which engaged and eliminated the squad, resulting in several terrorists being killed. The remaining squad members were observed fleeing and seeking refuge in an ambulance.
During the raids, soldiers eliminated over 100 terrorists and dismantled numerous military facilities used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. These included factories and warehouses for weapon production and storage.
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Terrorists' munitions located by IDF troops in Zeitoun neighborhood
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Drones were deployed to scan and swiftly encircle targets, leading to the capture of dozens of Hamas terrorists who were interrogated, yielding valuable intelligence on the organizations. Additionally, hundreds of launch pits and rocket launchers were located and destroyed.
In a separate incident, forces spotted a Hamas sniper firing from a nearby building and directed an IDF fighter jet to eliminate the shooter. Additionally, they targeted and dismantled the infrastructure associated with a high-ranking Hamas figure, Izz ad-Din Haddad, the commander of the Gaza City Brigade.
Col. Benny Aharon, commander of the 401st Brigade, reported from the Zeitoun sector, "Our objective is to dismantle enemy infrastructures, including underground weapon and production sites. During this operation, we have eliminated dozens of terrorists and destroyed numerous infrastructures."
He noted that Hamas had exploited previous periods of IDF inactivity, reoccupying Zeitoun to establish observation and ambush positions. The strategic location of Zeitoun, with visibility to Gaza border communities and separation from Israeli territory by Shijaiyah's hill, alongside its proximity to Gaza City's affluent neighborhoods leading to the seashore, makes it ideal for deploying mostly long-range rocket launchers. The IDF is actively seeking and neutralizing these threats.