As of Sunday morning, 11 IDF soldiers were killed in the Beit Hanoun area of central Gaza in the past two weeks. The Hamas battalion there, considered the weakest in the terrorist army, has, since the military began its latest offensive there, reverted to guerilla warfare.
On Saturday, Sergeant Major (res.) Alexander Fedorenko, Staff Sergeant Danila Diakov, Sergeant Yahav Maayan and Sergeant Eliav Astuker were killed when a remote explosive device was detonated. Initial investigation revealed that the terrorists took advantage of the bad weather on Tuesday night to place the powerful device on the side of the road that has been used as a logistical route since the start of the operation, after it was cleared from enemies and while tight security measures were in place there.
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Staff Sergeant Danila Diakov, Sergeant Major (res.) Alexander Fedorenko, Sergeant Yahav Maayan and Sergeant Eliav Astuker
(Photo: IDF)
The road has been in use by the forces, but no one saw the terrorists approach it. There may be an underground tunnel that had not been discovered nearby, where explosives could be placed and remotely detonated.
In the explosion, five other soldiers were hurt, two of them seriously. In a suspected friendly fire incident that ensued, a mass casualty event was announced.
Unlike neighboring Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun does not have a significant city center to conquer. The local population was evacuated leaving only the remaining terrorists, so the IDF's mission is mostly to destroy structures, and not only those that are near the border with Israel. The mission is to allow the resumption of train travel to Sderot safe from anti-tank missile fire, and to protect Kibbutz Erez from attack.
IDF forces in Beit Hanoun
(IDF)
The troops found more than 30 explosive devices in Beit Hanoun in the past two weeks, but those who have not been identified, have caused heavy casualties. In another explosion last week, three IDF soldiers were killed and the military was investigating whether the Hamas terrorists used explosives from IDF bombs, to make their device.
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The terrorists in Beit Hanoun use destroyed buildings in the city to their advantage, as the troops consider them cleared from enemy forces. The soldiers move slowly looking for IED's, so this operation could take some time unless a cease-fire is declared.
Just south of Beit Hanoun, in Jabaliya, two IDF brigades continue their operation, often fighting terrorists at close range. If negotiations for a cease-fire and hostage exchange fail, the IDF Southern Command is already planning the next offensive.