Military and strategic expert Major General Fayez Al-Duweiri stated that the Israeli occupation army’s attack on Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip is faltering, providing field-based evidence. This statement was made in response to Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Haggary’s comments on expanding operations in the area.
Al-Duweiri, during his analysis for Al Jazeera, clarified that the Israeli operations have been ongoing for a week in the areas of Qarara and Al-Zana east of Khan Younis but have failed to impose a reality that would allow them to secure a position before withdrawing towards Kissufim to rebuild their combat capabilities.
He pointed out that the occupation allocated a full brigade to the Khuza’a area but was unable to enter it, eventually retreating outside the border fence. There are also operations in the eastern region of Abasan Al-Jadida, where forces were unable to reach the main Salah Al-Din Street.
Al-Duweiri highlighted that the occupation forces entered from the towers of Hamad City to what is known as “Gush Katif” west of Khan Younis, which witnessed an aerial insertion he described as “laughable” due to the occupation’s inability to secure a logistical supply route for a distance of only 17 kilometers.
Regarding Haggary’s statement that a team was pulled from Gaza for rest and training, Al-Duweiri explained that “forces are withdrawn due to a decline in the level of combat readiness in equipment, personnel, morale, or logistical supply,” confirming that they had suffered harsh losses and that “if they had remained, they would have been easy prey for the resistance.”
During a press conference, Haggary stated that the division operating in the Khan Younis area expanded its attacks there, managing to “target a battalion of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), responsible for the rockets.”
Concerning Abasan Al-Jadida and Abasan Al-Kabira, the strategic expert indicated that it is a vast area with a complex network of mines and tunnels, providing high flexibility for the resistance forces to appear in time and place, operating on the principle of sustaining shock and awe tactics, wondering “when and how will the resistance emerge?”
Al-Duweiri pointed out that the occupation’s operations east of Khan Younis have shifted from an actual attack to an offensive maneuver in search of weaknesses, hoping of exploiting them to develop their operations.
Developments in the Central Governorate
In the Central Governorate, Al-Duweiri said there are two brigades in the northern area of Al Bureij and Al-Nuseirat refugee camps, which began building earth mounds and tank positions to secure protection, and they are not in a state of direct conflict.
He noted that in Al Bureij, offensive maneuvering is being implemented to look for weaknesses, while in Al-Nuseirat combat operations have stabilized, with only gunfire exchanges taking place. Meanwhile, the occupation is attempting to enter the Al-Maghazi camp and the town of Al-Zawayda under the concept of operational maneuvering.
Al-Duweiri emphasized that the resistance factions’ intensive resort to mortar squads to deal with the accumulation of occupation forces from west of Juhor Al-Deek to Al-Rashid Street (the sea) with a depth of 5 kilometers is considered an effective weapon.
