The Israeli military has intensified its raids on the central region of the Gaza Strip, with the aggression entering its 88th day, resulting in 70 Palestinian martyrs and more than 100 injuries. Meanwhile, the reported death toll of the Israeli army has risen to 507.
Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that the Israeli bombardment, using artillery and naval vessels, increased overnight in the areas of Zawayda, Deir al-Balah, and Nusseirat in central Gaza. Additionally, the Al Bureij and Al Maghazi camps faced artillery shelling, while ambulances struggled to enter Al Bureij camp to evacuate the martyrs and the wounded.
The correspondent added that Deir al-Balah endured intense Israeli shelling in recent hours. He pointed out that 15 of the martyrs belonged to the Matar family, whose house was targeted by an Israeli strike. Funeral prayers for some of the martyrs were held this Tuesday morning in the region.
Targeting an Israeli Special Force
Meanwhile, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), broadcast images of targeting an Israeli special force inside a building in central Jabalia town, northern Gaza Strip, with a "TPG" rocket designed to penetrate fortifications.
The Saraya al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, also broadcast new footage of what they described as a special operation, targeting an Israeli command and control site south of Gaza City.
In turn, Abu Obeida, the spokesman for the Qassam Brigades, announced the complete or partial destruction of 71 military vehicles within four days.
Abu Obeida added that Qassam fighters confirmed the killing of 16 Israeli soldiers and the injury of dozens with varying degrees of severity. They carried out 42 military operations that resulted in several Israeli soldiers dead and wounded. He referred to their targeting of occupation forces with rockets, explosive devices designed to penetrate fortifications and individuals, and engaging with them at point-blank range.
The Qassam spokesman revealed they rigged two houses and two tunnels against Israeli soldiers and detonated mines under Israeli vehicles. Additionally, they conducted two sniper operations and targeted a helicopter.
The Palestinian resistance in Gaza showed they remain capable of targeting Israel even after more than 12 weeks since the aggression began. They fired a barrage of rockets at Tel Aviv as the first minutes of 2024 dawned.
Arrests and Bodies in the Streets
Meanwhile, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz revealed the number of detainees from the Gaza Strip in Israeli prisons increased by 150% compared to the previous month.
Last month, Rami Abdo, founder of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor based in Geneva, reported that Israeli forces arrested at least 900 Palestinians in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. The monitor mentioned that most of the detainees from Gaza are being held in Zikim military base.
The Israeli occupation forces' withdrawal from the northern neighborhoods of Gaza City exposed widespread destruction, dead bodies, and scattered remains.
In Al Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, bodies of dozens of martyrs were scattered in the streets, remaining on the roadside for days.
Following the completion of the occupation forces' withdrawal from the neighborhood, the massive destruction inflicted on residential buildings, health facilities, and institutions due to weeks of shelling became evident.
Increased Casualties among Israeli Forces
On the Israeli side, Soroka Hospital announced that it received 24 wounded soldiers on Monday, with two of them sustaining serious injuries in clashes in Gaza.
The Israeli hospital treated 2,408 soldiers wounded in Gaza since the beginning of the war.
The Israeli army announced the killing of one of its soldiers and the injury of four others, including an officer with serious wounds, on Monday evening. This brings the officially announced death toll to 171 since the beginning of the ground operation on October 27, and 507 since the start of the offensive on Gaza.
Israel says the war in Gaza, which turned most of the Strip's areas into rubble and claimed thousands of lives, still has many months to go.
However, Israel indicated a new phase in the war, with the army talking about reducing its forces in Gaza this month and transitioning to a stage expected to last for months.
Reducing the number of forces would allow some reserve soldiers to return to civilian life, supporting the Israeli economy, which has been affected by the war, as reported by Israeli media outlets.
The Israeli military has been waging an offensive on Gaza since October 7, which has resulted in 21,978 martyrs, 57,697 wounded, 70% of whom are children and women, massive infrastructure destruction, and an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, according to Gaza authorities and the United Nations.
