Israeli Military Completes Takeover of Gaza’s Shejaiya District

Jerusalem, 21 December, 2023 (TPS) -- The Israeli military completed its takeover of northern Gaza’s Shejaiya district, dismantling Hamas’s “core capabilities” there, the Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday.

“The forces of the 36th Division gained an operational hold in the Shejaiya neighborhood. IDF forces will continue to occupy the area and carry out targeted operations in the neighborhood according to operational need,” the IDF said in a statement.

During fighting in the area, soldiers fought face-to-face with terrorists and exposed dozens of tunnels shafts in homes, schools and clinics. Hamas weapons and training materials were found in numerous civilian homes.

Elsewhere in Shejaiya, forces from the Golani Brigade aided the homes of senior members of the Hamas and confiscated intelligence material.

Israeli forces also took control of the headquarters of Hamas’s Shejaiya Battalion. Some of the terrorists who participated in the October 7 attack and massacres in southern Israel had gathered in this building before launching the attack. The IDF said more than 100 terror buildings were destroyed and dozens of tunnel shafts exposed.

Many Hamas squads surrendered to Israeli forces, including a company commander who participated in the October 7 massacre.

At least 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on Oct. 7. The number of men, women, children, soldiers and foreigners held captive in Gaza by Hamas is now believed to be 129. Other people remain unaccounted for as Israeli authorities continue to identify bodies and search for human remains.