Hamas ambush shows resistance still firm in Gaza City

Hamas terrorists killed at least nine members of a group of Israeli forces in a dense neighborhood in Gaza City, the Israeli military said Wednesday. The troops were searching the Shijaiyah district when four of the soldiers came under fire, the military said. Hamas fighters met the rest of the Israeli soldiers with explosives and heavy gunfire after they tried launching a rescue attempt. Among the dead was Col. Itzhak Ben Basat, 44, the most senior officer to be killed during Israel’s ground operation. The Israeli military did not immediately say whether Hamas militants died in the ambush, and Hamas did not make any statements about the ambush on Wednesday, according to the Times of Israel.

How much progress has Israel’s offensive made? Hamas has kept up resistance in areas that Israel has isolated and targeted with airstrikes for over two months. In northern Gaza, combat is largely focused in Gaza City and nearby neighborhoods, including Shijaiyah. The United States has pushed Israel to do more to avoid civilian casualties as they continue their advance in southern Gaza.

Dig deeper: Read Jill Nelson’s report in WORLD Magazine on the history of radical Islamic terror groups targeting Israel.