Zionist occupation forces renewed their invasion of Gaza City’s al-Shujaiya neighborhood on Friday, after withdrawing under the Resistance’s fire several months ago.
After claiming to have dismantled the Palestinian Resistance’s military apparatus in the northern Gaza Strip in early January 2024, the occupation’s military command has renewed commands for several attacks on cities, neighborhoods, and refugee camps in the area.
The latest of which is this renewed attack on al-Shujaiya.
However, the renewed attacks into these areas have proven even more difficult to execute for occupation forces, as the first time around armored and infantry forces were better equipped and garnered greater firepower from supporting units and the Air Force.
An incursion into Jabalia and its refugee camp on May 12 dragged on into early June, as the city saw some of the fiercest fighting since the ground invasion of the Gaza Strip was launched in late October 2023. Crucially, the attack on Jabalia was marketed to be a passing Israeli raid, however, Zionist circles were shocked to find that the Palestinian Resistance, specifically Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades had recovered effective operational capabilities.
Resistance engages invading forces in al-Shujaiya
On Thursday, the Zionist military command ordered Palestinians to evacuate al-Shujaiya and soon after launched an attack on the neighborhood. However, as has been the case in such attacks, Palestinian Resistance fighters were ready to confront the hostile force and defend the neighborhood.
Particularly, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s (PIJ) al-Quds Brigades conducted several operations that targeted incoming armored vehicles.
The group detonated more than six improvised explosive devices (IEDs) into armored Zionist vehicles in the neighborhood in just a few hours of confrontation.
Here is a list of these operations:
- Al-Quds Brigades detonated an IED planted into a road in the al-Shujaiyah, which hit a armored vehicle.
- Fighters also detonated a heavy IED, dubbed “Baqer”, into a military-grade bulldozer near al-Shuhada’ Mosque.
- A large cylindrical-shaped explosively formed penetrator (EFP) device was detonated into a armored vehicle, destroying the target near the Tunisian Cemetary in al-Shujaiya.
- Two Zionist armored vehicles were destroyed in a minefield set up by al-Quds Brigades fighters near al-Qandil area in the neighborhood.
- Another large explosive device, dubbed “Zilzal” or “Earthquake”, incapacitated a Merkava tank on al-Baghdad Street.
Al-Qassam fighters leave Namer APC in flames
Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades also conducted several operations, targeting occupation forces invading the neighborhood.
The Brigades targeted a Merkava 4-tank using a Shawaz EFP. They also fired an al-Yassin tandem rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) at a armored personnel carrier (APC).
However, the operation that headlines today’s confrontations saw al-Qassam fighters fire an al-Yassin RPG at a Namer-type APC.
According to the statement released by al-Qassam’s Military Media Unit, the locally-produced RPG completely destroyed the vehicle, which was set ablaze, killing its crewmembers.
Al-Qassam fighters also confronted occupation forces in Tal al-Hawa, a neighborhood in southern Gaza City, firing an RPG at a grouping of soldiers.
Al-Qassam destroys another APC in Rafah
Concurrently, the Palestinian Resistance continued to engage occupation forces that have invaded Rafah and launched multiple rocket salvos at Zionist military sites on Thursday.
In Rafah, operations were mainly comprised of mortar attacks, that targeted the Sufa military site to the east of the city, occupation forces in al-Saudi neighborhood, and the Karem Abu Salem military site.
However, an al-Qassam sniper team did manage to shoot down a Zionist soldier near al-Shibli Mosque in eastern Rafah.
The Brigades also fired an al-Yassin RPG at an Israeli APC in al-Saudi neighborhood, which set the vehicle ablaze. Soon after Zionist military rescue helicopters were seen landing at the site of the ambush to transport the casualties from the area.
In al-Shaboura neighborhood al-Qassam fighters fired the tandem RPG shell at a Merkava tank.
Occupation forces in the Netsarim Axis and the Kissufim military site were also attacked by Resistance fighters who fired several types of rocket artillery shells in their direction.
Hezbollah bombards occupation entity
The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon – Hezbollah responded to several Zionist attacks on Lebanese towns and villages on Thursday, launching a large salvo of rockets toward occupied Safad in lower al-Jalil.
Hezbollah fighters launched at least 40 rockets toward occupied Safad, according to Zionist media reports.
On the other hand, the Resistance said that it fired a salvo of Grad-type rockets at the Birya Barracks, which hosts the Northern Command’s main Air Defense Unit. The group explained that the attack came in response to Israeli strikes that targeted the city of al-Nabatiyeh and the town of Suhmor in South Lebanon and the Western Bekaa respectively.
As a result of the attack, the occupied city of Safad experienced a power outage, as nearly 40 rocket artillery shells made their way toward the base. According to initial reports, several individuals were injured, as the Iron Dome struggled to withstand the salvo.
Smoke was seen billowing from the nearby Birya settlement, the Ein Zeitim settlement, and occupied Safad. Zionist media outlets pointed to the fact that this is one of the largest salvos fired by Hezbollah in recent weeks.
In a similar context, Hezbollah’s Unmanned Air Force launched several suicide drones at the al-Naqoura naval base on the Mediterranean coast.
The drones impacted the positions and dwelling areas of occupation officers and soldiers, lighting them ablaze and killing and injuring several, Hezbollah said in a statement.
At 5:30 pm (local time) the Resistance fired unspecified “rocket weapons” at the Roueisat al-Qarn military site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms.
Zionist aggression on South Lebanon ensues
On the other hand, Zionist warplanes raided the towns of Aitaroun, Houla, al-Khiam, and Ramieh. Israeli artillery units also shelled al-Naqoura, Aalma al-Shaab, al-Habariyeh, Kfar Kila, and Hadtha.
Heavy machine guns and shells were also fired at the border town of Blida, while Zionist drones launched missiles at individuals in Suhmor and Hadtha.
Hezbollah also mourned four of its fighters, namely, martyrs Ali Ahmad Alaa al-Din, Abbas Ahmad Srour, Abed al-Amir Jawad Aasaily, and Mohammad Hussein Qassem. The four fighters were martyred on the path of al-Quds, the Resistance added.
Yemen continues pressure campaign
The Yemeni Armed Forces struck a Zionist-affiliated merchant ship in the Red Sea using a flurry of unmanned aerial and surface vehicles, as well as anti-ship missiles, the spokesperson for the YAF, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announced on Thursday evening.
Saree said that the YAF conducted two operations, the first of which was a joint operation with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, in which several cruise missiles were launched toward a vital Zionist site in occupied Haifa.
The second attack was conducted by the YAF’s Unammaned Air Force, Rocket Force, and Navy. The operation targeted the SEAJOY bulk carrier in the Red Sea, via several suicide drones, anti-ship missiles, and an unmanned surface vehicle (USV).
SEAJOY was attacked by the YAF as part of the Yemeni force’s implementation of its embargo on the occupation and Zionist-affiliated entities.
The company that owns SEAJOY had breached the embargo imposed by the YAF, an action that deemed it among blacklisted vessels, a process that the spokesperson had publicly outlined on several occasions.
Shipping companies that have breached the embargo have also been reportedly warned against sailing in Yemeni waters in communications.
UKMTO confirms USV impact into unnamed vessel
Earlier on Thursday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) had reported on an incident on an attack on an unnamed vessel that had taken place 83 nautical miles southwest of al-Hodeidah Yemen.
According to the report a waterborne USV had detonated into the vessel. The report cites a third party, which claims that the vessel is still operational and is proceeding to its next port call.
On the other hand, Saree stressed that YAF will continue to conduct joint operations with the Iraqi Resistance, reaffirming what he had set out in previous statements regarding the operations of Zionist-affiliated vessels and other vessels in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean.
This is the second time that a Yemeni USV strikes a vessel off the country’s coast this month. The first operation saw two Toophan-1 USVs burst a total of 300 kg explosive payloads into the MV Tutor on June 12, which sunk at a later time.
The YAF conducted these operations as a show of proactive support to the besieged Palestinian people and their Resistance, which has come under an unprecedented war launched by the occupation, since October last year.