A Zionist soldier was killed and seven others were wounded in an ambush executed by al-Qassam Brigades fighters in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday.
According to a statement released by the occupation’s military command, a soldier serving in the 16th Infantry Brigade’s 6310th Battalion was killed after an improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City.
The 14th Brigade has been tasked with the expansion of the Netzarim Corridor, which Zionist forces currently occupy, northwards into neighborhoods in Gaza City. However, these attempts have proven costly for occupation forces, who have been subject to several deadly ambushes executed by Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades.
In this incident, the Zionist military command said that a force had reached a building they intended to search in al-Zaytoun where an IED had been planted on the outer wall, directed at the road below.
According to an initial probe, a force had entered the building while another grouping had taken position outside. The IED was detonated killing one soldier and severely injuring four others while three others were moderately injured.
Zionist military rescue helicopters rushed to the scene to evacuate the casualties on Friday.
The announcement means that 337 troops have been killed since the occupation launched its invasion of the Gaza Strip while 696 have been killed since October 7, 2023.
Al-Qassam Brigades details the complex operation
Al-Qassam Brigades released a statement that matches the events detailed by the Zionist military command at an earlier time.
Providing more details, al-Qassam’s Military Media Unit said that its fighters targeted a number of military vehicles in the vicinity of the Star Factory in southeast al-Zaytoun, utilizing tandem rocket-propelled grenades to do so.
The firing of the RPGs lured an infantry force toward a building that had been laidened with anti-personnel IEDs.
As soon as the force positioned itself outside the building, the IEDs were detonated, killing and injuring several members of the Zionist force. Al-Qassam Brigades also said that rescue helicopters were seen evacuating the casualties from the scene of the operation.
Rocket fire from Gaza Strip: Unrelenting
Friday also saw the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s (PIJ) al-Quds Brigades fighters heavily shell the Gaza Envelope, where multiple cities and settlements have been established.
The Brigades said that its fighters fired salvos of rockets toward occupied Isdud, Aasklan, and several settlements in the area.
Sirens sounded in Sderot, Ibim, and Nir Am on Friday.
Al-Quds Brigades fighters also shelled the Israeli Zikim military site with large-caliber mortar shells on Friday.
On Thursday, another soldier had been killed in the southern Gaza Strip as a result of an anti-tank shell being fired at an armored vehicle.
The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon – Hezbollah launched a series of attacks in support of the Palestinian people and in response to aggression on Lebanese towns on Friday.
Hezbollah’s Military Media Unit released 15 statements detailing distinct operations against Zionist assets, and footage of several strikes was circulated on social media.
In an initial attack that came in response to aggression on Lebanese territories, Hezbollah fighters attacked the air traffic control Meron military base with unspecified weapons.
The Resistance confirmed its attack destroyed spyware installed on the site.
Several large explosions in the Meron base were recorded by settlers on Friday.
At 9:40 am (local time), Hezbollah’s artillery units shelled the al-Malikiyah military site.
10 minutes past noon, Hezbollah artillery units attacked a position of occupation troops near the Lebanese-Palestinian border.
The Resistance also attacked the Roueissat al-Aalam military site in the occupied Kfar Chouba Hills, while a salvo of rockets was launched on artillery positions in the western axis of confrontation.
At 5:23 pm, Hezbollah renewed its attacks on Zionist assets in the occupied Kfar Chouba Hills, this time targeting the al-Summaqah military site.
The Resistance also responded to Zionist attacks on Lebanese towns and civilians by attacking the Ein Zeitim base.
At 6:10 pm, the Resistance launched an attack on the Metulla military site, targeting a position of Zionist troops, as well as spyware on the site.
Soon after, the Resistance launched two attacks, the first of which targeted the Hadab Yaroun military site at 6:20 pm and the other targeted the Ramim Barracks at 6:25 pm.
Hezbollah recorded yet another artillery attack on the al-Malikiyah military site and dealt direct hits to spyware installed in the al-Aabad military site.
At 7:30 pm, the Zar’it barracks was attacked with artillery weapons.
Hezbollah then launched two attacks in response to attacks that targeted civilians in Lebanon.
The first saw its fighters fire salvoes of Grad-type rockets at the Yiftah barracks.
The second attack saw the Resistance fire intermittent salvoes of rockets at the occupation’s city of Kiryat Shmona.
Several rockets impacted the city on Friday night, and the incidents were recorded by settlers and CCTV footage.
Sirens went off at least 6 times in the city and nearby settlements on Friday as a result of the two attacks which were launched more than 2 hours apart.
As a result of attacks on Lebanese towns, Hezbollah mourned seven of its fighters on Friday who were martyred on the path to al-Quds:
- Martyr Hassan Wissam Harkous, “Abu Mahdi”, born in 2005 in the the southern Lebanese town of Toura.
- Martyr Qassem Saleh Harkous, “Fida'”, born in 2004 in the southern Lebanese town of Toura.
- Martyr Akil Qassem Gharib, “Abu Taleb”, born in 1990 in the southern Lebanese town of Tayr Harfa.
- Martyr Hussein Mohammad Shuqair, “Sajed”, born in 1998 in the southern Lebanese town of Mays al-Jabal.
- Martyr Mohammad Mahmoud Najem, “Karrar”, born in 1971 in the southern Lebanese town of Ayta al-Jabal.
- Martyr Saeed Mahmoud Diab, “Haidar”, born in 1990 in the southern Lebanese town of Burj Rahhal.
- Martyr Ali Akra, Al-Haq, “Karrar,” born in 1998 in the Lebanese Bekaa town of al-Kouakh
At approximately 01:20 am on Saturday, sirens sounded in the occupied towns of Ibillin and Tamra. The towns are located nearly 30 km away from the Zionist line of withdrawal from South Lebanon.
Zionist media outlets reported that an anti-air missile was launched at a suspicious object over the towns. Later, the occupation’s military command confirmed that a drone, suspected to have made its way from Lebanon, was spotted over Tamra on Saturday.