‘Operational Control’? – What Newly-Released Resistance Videos Say about Gaza Battles

January 9, 2024 Articles, Features, Videos
The Palestinian Resistance is engaging the Israeli military in tough battles in Gaza. (Photo: video, via Al-Qassam military media)

By Palestine Chronicle Editors

On Tuesday, the two main fighting Resistance forces in Gaza, Al-Qassam Brigades and Al-Quds Brigades, released two videos.

The videos may appear just another addition to the damning evidence of the heavy casualties sustained by invading Israeli troops in Gaza. 

However, these two particular videos tell us much more about the state of the Palestinian Resistance in the Strip and the changing tactics used by Palestinians in the longest war ever fought by Israel in Gaza. 

They also help us answer the questions, did Israel truly control northern Gaza as Israeli military spokesman continue to claim? And how is the fighting in Khan Yunis progressing?

Al-Qassam Brigades Video

The newly released video by Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas, took place in the Zaytoun neighborhood in northern Gaza. 

Israel has claimed to have achieved operational control over Zaytoun many days ago. The video, however, demonstrates that Israel has little operational control in that area. 

True, Daniel Hagari, the military spokesman for the Israeli army, has said that, per his language, ‘terrorist attacks’ continue to be launched against the Israeli military in the north. 

But a close examination of that video shows that what has taken place in that specific operation cannot be classified as a random attack by a small Qassam unit, operating without centralized leadership. Why?

The timeline of the events shows complete military preparedness: 

0:15 – Monitoring Israeli forces advancing towards the ambush.

0:24 – The ambush begins with the support group striking the Israeli forces.

0:32 – The escape of the remaining part of the force towards one of the houses.

0:44 – Clashing with the special force by the execution group.

1:24 – Striking the enemy’s rescue forces by the rescue cutting group.

2:08 – (Voice over by Al-Qassam fighter) “Now, the detonation of an explosive device on the zionist pig soldiers in a tunnel in Al-Zaytoun neighborhood.” 

Indeed, the video shows this whole process done with complete accuracy, up to the point where a tunnel beneath that area was detonated along with the remaining soldiers. 

An operation of this nature must have involved a complicated process, including: 

  • Monitoring the Israeli military movement in that area in advance; 
  • Communicating information to the various Qassam cells on the ground; 
  • Coordinating and dividing the roles of the various Qassam units that ultimately engaged in the operation; 
  • Carrying out all stages of the operation; 
  • Engaging with remaining Israeli special forces, ultimately luring them into a tunnel; 
  • Blowing up the tunnel; 
  • Retreating; 
  • Communicating the outcome of the operation; 
  • Developing the media content; 
  • Sharing the content with international media.

This, by no means, indicates that the Hamas command in Al-Zaytoun is in tatters. To the contrary, it is Israeli ‘special forces’ who were seen running back and forth, while increasingly being surrounded by Al-Qassam fighters. 

At one point in the video, it becomes clear that the Hamas fighters are moving forward, in more open positions, while the Israeli soldiers go into hiding.

And finally, the language. The fighters were communicating throughout the video. Their voices did not seem stressed or shaky. They used code words that only they could understand: ‘Isahb’, meaning ‘pull’, and ‘Ammin’, meaning ‘Secure’.

In the background, you hear another voice, chanting encouraging words to his colleagues, which indicates that the fighters must have felt safe to be able to declare their positions so openly. 

Even Israeli units that arrived to rescue the soldiers, themselves came under the fire of the Resistance. 

None of this indicates that Israel has operational control over the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood and, by extension, over many other parts of northern Gaza. 

Al-Quds Brigades Video

The second video was released by Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement, in the Khan Yunis area, in southern Gaza Strip.

While the Israeli military admits that Khan Yunis is, indeed, a site for fierce clashes between advancing Israeli soldiers and the Resistance, the video does teach us about the degree of preparedness of the Resistance in southern Gaza as well.

Second 14 in the video, shows an Al-Quds Brigades fighter walking slowly in an area greatly damaged in the fighting. He is clearly being filmed by another fighter. Later on, we discover that there is another camera that is placed in the opposite direction of the targeted area.

Israeli soldiers begin appearing on second 37 in the video. First, a masked Israeli soldier hiding behind a slightly opened curtain inside a Palestinian home in the area. 

A few seconds later, another Israeli soldier carefully peaks from the other side of the curtain. 

On the 50th second, a third Israeli soldier, stationed in the same building, cautiously breaks a small hole in a wall using the barrel of his gun.

Eventually, a Palestinian fighter takes position, aims, fires, using an RPG-like device and blows up the building with the soldiers inside. 

The Israeli army has said that it could take months for them to advance in Khan Yunis. They are not wrong. 

Indeed, a small group of fighters, being able to monitor, film from several directions, surround the area, kill or wound the soldiers, retreat safely, and communicate the message to the world is proof that the Khan Yunis battles are not going very well for Israel.

(The Palestine Chronicle)

    Learn More     Watch Video
(The Palestine Chronicle is a registered 501(c)3 organization, thus, all donations are tax deductible.)
Our Vision For Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders & Intellectuals Speak Out

Related Articles

3 Comments

  1. Always praying for the liberation of Palestine and safety of all Resistance fighters. God always bless your country and long suffering people.

  2. I and my Irish roots am in awe of the courageous, determined and skilled young men and women of Hamas. You are true heroes to your people and to all of us who hold the values of freedom, justice, humanity and truth above the shallow advantages of wealth, comfort, lies and colonial racist genocide as do the Americans and their pet thugs, the Israelis. Tiocaidh a’r la’ ! Our and your day will soon come. Khan Younis will always be a Holy Place in our memories for what you do today and tommorrow. I am old and have my own memories of wars. I salute you.

  3. Praying for destruction of Israel and the safety of all Palestinian freedom fighters including in Lebanon, Yeman, Iraq and Iran etc. You’re all an inspiration. As a US citizen I am ashamed that my shithole country stands alone supporting a murderous despicable nazi Zionist regime. God Bless you all.

Comments are closed.