As the Zionist regime commits yet another clear act of genocide, killing and injuring more than a thousand Palestinian civilians to the west of Gaza City, the Palestinian Resistance marks yet another victory on the southeastern axis of the northern Gaza Strip, a field commander in the Palestinian Resistance stated.
A source from the Palestinian Resistance confirmed that occupation forces withdrew from al-Zaytoun neighborhood under the Resistance’s fire following several top-tier attacks.
He said that debris resulting from the Resistance’s attacks on armored vehicles and Merkava tanks could be seen across the axes of confrontation, which saw intense fighting.
The source also confirmed that bloodied and ripped pieces of military garments are scattered in several areas indicating casualties among enemy soldiers.
Occupation forces failed in their advance into al-Zaytoun neighborhood in southeast Gaza City, after expecting a quick operation in the area. The occupation claims that the attack comes in line with its alleged third stage of operations. These “operations” were expected to follow low-intensity methods and would require relatively low-effort raids and incursion into areas in the Gaza Strip, following a large-scale invasion into the same areas that were supposedly “cleared”.
More than 10 days since the attempted invasion of al-Zaytoun, the Palestinian Resistance continues to confront and deal mighty blows to occupation soldiers, killing and injuring multiple enemy troops, including a company commander and another platoon commander of the Givati Brigade.
Streets ‘turned into graveyards’ for Merkava tanks
On Wednesday, the Resistance said that the Dawlah Intersection and al-Sikka Street in Gaza City have been “turned into a graveyard” for Merkava tanks.
“The occupation’s military incurred heavy losses,” on February 27, the Resistance commander stated, adding that military “helicopters landed [in the area] three times to evacuate those killed and wounded.”
“Zionist warplanes intervened three times to cover the evacuation operations, executing concentrated raids on several axes,” the source explained.
“Our fighters from [every faction] are still in their combat positions and are carrying out their tasks according to plans established in advance,” the Resistance commander in al-Zaytoun stated, highlighting the Resistance’s ability to command and control large-scale operations in the northern Gaza Strip, contrary to Zionist claims.
“A state of confusion dominates the movements of the occupation soldiers [in al-Zaytoun neighborhood],” the field source said at the time.
The al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, announced Thursday that its Resistance fighters carried out several operations against occupation forces in the southern part of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the Gaza Strip.
Al-Qassam mentioned that its fighters engaged three armored personnel carriers (APCs) and a Merkava tank with al-Yassin 105 shells and Shawaz explosive devices.
Additionally, al-Qassam fighters confirmed they detonated a booby-trapped building in an infantry patrol, causing one fatality and one injury among the occupation forces. They also blew up two booby-trapped tunnels in the raiding forces, resulting in casualties among their ranks.
Al-Qassam further reported the detonation of an anti-personnel explosive device in an infantry patrol of five soldiers, causing casualties.
Meanwhile, the al-Mujahideen Brigades announced targeting the positioning and deployment of occupation soldiers southeast of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood with short-range rockets.
Furthermore, the al-Qassam Brigades reposted a video it had previously broadcast of three Zionist captives urging their government to reach a deal for their release.
After al-Qassam announced losing contact with the group responsible for the three captives’ security last December, the Brigades stated in the video that the fate of the captives would be announced tomorrow.
Resistance targets West Bank settlers
Zionist media reported on Thursday the killing of two settlers in an operation in the “Eli” settlement, in south Nablus in the West Bank.
The Zionist Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper revealed that an investigation is underway into a “suspected shooting attack at a gas station, near the Eli settlement.”
Palestinian security officer Mohammed Youssef Manasra carried out the operation, Palestinian sources stated. He was martyred right after.
Earlier this month, Zionist media reported concerns about Palestinian authority security forces joining in violence against the IOF during the holy month of Ramadan.
Zionist military and intelligence authorities have expressed concern regarding the upcoming month of Ramadan, recommending that concerned authorities ease measures against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and al-Quds.
Ramadan is set to commence in early March this year, and the holy month is synonymous with several occasions that Muslims celebrate. Recently, the occupation has severely restricted the entry of Palestinians to one of the holiest sites, al-Aqsa Mosque, in occupied al-Quds. The measure comes hand in hand with increased systematic oppression of Palestinians in the occupied territory, including wide-scale detention campaigns and assassinations against Palestinians in the West Bank.
In this context, Zionist military and intelligence officials have recommended that restrictions be eased, fearing that “Hamas takes advantage of the most important time for Muslims, as a chance to ignite the [West Bank],” Yoav Zitun, the military affairs analyst for Zionist news website Ynet, wrote.
Hamas released a statement about the action:
We congratulate the heroic operation and call for an escalation of the confrontation.
The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) congratulates the heroic operation in the settlement of “Eli” south of Nablus city this evening, and exalts to our Palestinian people and to our Arab and Islamic nation the its executor, the martyr hero, a Palestinian police officer:
Mohammed Youssef Dhiab Manasra from Qalandia camp
The continuous massacres by the occupation against our steadfast and resilient people, especially in Gaza Strip, and the last horrific massacre last night at Al-Nabulsi roundabout in Gaza City, will not remain without a response and accountability from the heroes of our people and their resistance. The brave heroes of our people in the occupied West Bank, Al-Quds, and the interior will always be ready for confrontation, defense, and revenge for the bleeding blood. Our people will continue their resistance until the achievement of return and liberation.
We also affirm that the continued rampage of the occupation in Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa Mosque, and its plans to restrict worshippers and prevent them from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque during the blessed month of Ramadan, will be an additional detonator that ignites the land under the occupiers’ feet.
This heroic operation takes place at the same location where the martyrs, the Al-Qassam fighters Mohannad Shehadeh and Khaled Sabah, conducted their operation a few months ago, to tell the occupation that there is no safety for them on our land, and that the strikes of the resistance fighters will continue and pursue you from where you do not expect. You will not know from where the next fighter will emerge, Allah willing.
We call upon the heroes of our people and their resistance in the West Bank and Al-Quds, especially the sons of the [Palestinian Authority] Security Forces, to follow in the footsteps of our martyr and to raise and direct weapons towards the chests of the zionist aggressors from the occupation soldiers and settler gangs. We also call upon our revolutionary youth and the free of our stationed Palestinian people to escalate the confrontation with the occupation and its settlers in all parts of the homeland and in Al-Quds, which is watered with blood. Let the occupation know that we are a people who do not sleep on injustice until it is removed, Allah willing.
Islamic Resistance Movement – Hamas
Thursday: 19 Sha’ban 1445H
Corresponding to: February 29, 2024
In the West Bank, occupation forces also withdrew from the governorate of Jenin, after launching a failed raid into the city earlier on Thursday morning.
A video, circulated by local social media users, showed a van owned by special undercover forces being escorted out of Jenin by military jeeps. The last armored vehicle shown in the video was clearly being towed by another jeep, as Palestinian Resistance fighters successfully confronted the Israeli force.
According to local sources, a covert special forces unit made an attempted incursion into al-Jabriyat neighborhood. However, the Resistance fighters successfully identified the infiltrators, who had employed a vehicle cleverly disguised as a civilian van in their operation.
Al-Quds Brigades discovers & confronts undercover force
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades – Jenin Brigade announced that its fighters were able to discover the infiltrators and confront them with heavy fire.
The Resistance group kept its audience updated on its official Telegram channel, saying its fighters continued to fend off the invading forces, in line with the Resistance’s Battle of Al-Aqsa Flood.
At 10:17 am (local time), al-Quds Brigades fighters were able to push the special force into a nearby building in al-Jabriyat. Another group of fighters confronted the withdrawing occupation force in al-Hissan roundabout, al-Quds Brigades – Jenin confirmed, adding that its fighters used locally manufactured improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to do so.
Locals reported loud explosions likely resulting from the detonation of several IEDs throughout the incursion.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and al-Qassam Brigades fighters also engaged in the confrontations, the two factions announced.
Zionist forces reportedly attempted to detain Palestinians from Jenin, while reports suggest that several civilians were severely injured by live bullets fired by occupation forces.
Occupation authorities have launched wide-scale arrest campaigns in several areas across the occupied West Bank, while also assassinating several local leaders of Palestinian Resistance groups. However, the main objective of suppressing acts of Resistance, launched from the West Bank, has not been achieved. Instead, Resistance fighters continue to confront every Israeli incursion into cities and towns.
Palestinian factions meet in Moscow for reconciliation
The Political Bureau member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement, Ihsan Ataya, said the Palestinian factions’ meeting in Moscow on Thursday enjoyed a “positive” atmosphere, affirming that the meeting aims to confront current crises and stop the ongoing Zionist aggression on the Gaza Strip.
Ataya stressed that Zionist massacres violate all international laws and expose the brutality of those who claim humanity.
He added that the massacre that was committed Thursday by the occupation forces on al-Rashid Street west of Gaza City, in which more than 100 Palestinians were martyred, may have an impact on global public opinion.
Ataya emphasized the need for resistance to break Zionist and American arrogance, parallel to political pressure, to achieve the Palestinian people’s demands.
Touching on aid air-dropped by several countries to the Gaza Strip, the PIJ official considered that this process is carried out with the approval of the occupation authorities and “aims to humiliate the Palestinian people.”
He pointed out that the purpose of air-dropping aid is to sow discord among the Palestinian people, knowing that the entry of aid to the Strip should aim to preserve the dignity of Gazans.
In a related context, Ataya indicated that the Palestinian Resistance is “keen to reach a position that preserves the rights and demands of the Palestinian people,” and therefore, it postponed tackling factional differences, as the priority is to stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
He said that Washington is attempting, through disseminating false news about negotiations to reach a deal between the Palestinian Resistance and the criminal entity, to calm down protests in Western countries and portray the resistance as the side impeding the process of reaching an agreement.
Palestinian factions tried to focus on common denominators
Meanwhile, the head of international relations in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Maher al-Taher, underlined that the Palestinian cause is going through “a decisive and dangerous turning point.”
Al-Taher said that the talks were good, with no mutual conditions, revealing that the PFLP presented a comprehensive vision of the Palestinian situation and emphasized its adherence to resistance.
He noted that the atmosphere in the Moscow meeting was better than previous ones, and Palestinian factions tried to focus on common denominators.
The PFLP official pointed out that the current structure of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) cannot continue in its current form and must include Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement.
Al-Taher mentioned that the Palestinian Resistance has managed to endure for five months against the Zionist war machine and is ready to show further resilience. He also revealed that during the Moscow meeting, the PFLP called for the establishment of a global resistance front to confront the United States worldwide.
source: Al Mayadeen, Resistance News Network