A peek into tunnel warfare
Videos show Palestinian fighters in dramatic attacks on Israeli tanks in Rafah
Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic have obtained and verified video clips showing members of the Qassam Brigades – the military wing of Hamas – carrying out daring attacks against Israeli tanks and bulldozers in the ongoing battle for Rafah city.
In one video, Palestinian fighters can be seen emerging from a tunnel in the earth nearby to parked Israeli tanks. The fighters rush towards the tanks with what appear to be antitank mines, which they prime for detonation before fleeing.
A fighter then fires a rocket-propelled grenade at another Israeli tank before all three escape back into the tunnel.
"كتـ.ـائب القسـ.ـام" تنفذ هجوما مركبا ضد قوات الاحتلال المتوغلة شرق رفح#حرب_غزة #فيديو pic.twitter.com/qLdoQ8BoVp
— الجزيرة فلسطين (@AJA_Palestine) May 14, 2024
Translation: “Qassam Brigades” carry out a complex attack against the occupation forces penetrating east of Rafah.
"كتـ.ـائب القـ.ـسام" تنشر مشاهد لاستهداف جرافات ودبابات الاحتلال شرق رفح#حرب_غزة #فيديو pic.twitter.com/ASSrJItQcR
— الجزيرة فلسطين (@AJA_Palestine) May 14, 2024
Translation: “Qassam Brigades” publish scenes targeting occupation bulldozers and tanks east of Rafah.
Palestinian fighters carry out ‘very high daily rate of attacks’ on Israeli forces in Gaza
Palestinian armed groups have “preserved or rebuilt” their fighters and weaponry required to challenge Israeli military operations in northern Gaza, war monitors say, adding that the groups fighting in Jabalia report carrying out – on average – 28 attacks each day on Israeli forces since May 11.
In the latest battlefield assessment from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and the Critical Threats Project (CTP), the two US-based defence think tanks continue to emphasise that Palestinian armed groups are far from vanquished, and now rebuilding, despite months of war with a vastly better-equipped Israeli army.
“Palestinian militias are sustaining a very high daily rate of attacks targeting Israeli forces in Jabalia,” the ISW/CTP said, noting that Israel’s military is conducting “two re-clearing operations” in the north of the Gaza Strip, where it claimed in December that it had defeated Hamas.
Also, on Tuesday, Palestinian fighters carried out four “indirect fire attacks” from Gaza towards Israel, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad firing rockets from northern Gaza towards Israel’s Sderot area.
Hamas will likely be able to compensate for any losses it takes during this Israeli operation by rebuilding its units in the Jabalia refugee camp after the IDF withdraws, given the IDF’s clear-leave-repeat strategy. 2/4
Israel names latest soldier killed in Gaza
The Israeli military has released details of the latest soldier to be killed in its war on Gaza. The 19-year-old sergeant in the 75th Battalion was killed on Tuesday in fighting in the south of the Gaza Strip, the military said.
With the deaths of five Israeli soldiers in Gaza between Friday and Monday this week, a total of 272 Israeli soldiers have been reported killed and 1,674 injured since the start of Israel’s ground operations in the Palestinian territory, the United Nations reports.
The latest death in southern Gaza will add to that total.
Projectile launched from Gaza causes damage in Sderot: Israeli military
The Israeli military said earlier today “two projectiles” were launched from the Gaza Strip towards the city of Sderot in southern Israel.
Initially, the military said its air defences had intercepted the projectiles but it later reported that one of them landed in the city and “caused damage”.
No casualties have been reported.
Sixty rockets fired at Israel from Lebanon
At least 60 rockets were fired from Lebanon in a recent barrage towards northern Israel with minor damage reported, Israeli newspaper Haaretz has reported, citing the Israeli military.
Since the start of the war, Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and the Israeli military have regularly traded fire across the border.
Haaretz says that Lebanon’s Hezbollah group claimed responsibility for the latest attack and said it was targeting the Biranit army base on the border with Lebanon.
The Lebanese armed group said it was in response to an Israeli strike on Tuesday which killed senior field commander Hussain Ibrahim Mekky, according to Haaretz.