Intense combat is continuing in multiple sites in northern and southern Gaza, with Israeli forces uncovering tunnel shafts in nearly every location they encounter, in every school and multiple mosques.
Some of the fiercest fighting is still taking place in Gaza City. One battle took place at a school in Shuja’iyya, a terrorist stronghold neighborhood in northern Gaza.
Also in Gaza City, IDF soldiers from the Combat Engineering Corps’ 749th Reserve Battalion destroyed buildings at Al-Azhar University that were found to contain Hamas terrorist infrastructure, including weaponry and a tunnel network, as seen in this video from an IDF soldier in the field.
Bye bye to the new branch of al-Azhar University, Gaza. #HamasislSIS https://t.co/pj5YFZODND pic.twitter.com/QqB9NA5yCP
— Imshin (@imshin) December 7, 2023
The forces found a tunnel entrance that led to a school nearly a mile (one kilometer) away. The troops also found huge amounts of explosive devices, parts of rockets, launchers, and other equipment stockpiled in and around the university.
Al-Azhar University in Gaza:
The @IDF found an underground tunnel that ran from the university’s yard to a school 1 km away and weapons including explosive devices, rocket parts, launchers, and detonation system.pic.twitter.com/k8lLXeHnPE
— Israel ישראל ?? (@Israel) December 8, 2023
In a separate operation, IDF reservists of the 14th Armored Brigade raided a Hamas observation post in the Shati area. The reservists found 200 handheld radios, dozens of cameras, as well as a tunnel and weapons, the IDF said.
Lotar Counter Terror Unit Joins Combat in Shuja’iyya
IAF fighter jets struck terror targets and terrorists as ground troops continued combat in different locations.
During operations of the 188th Brigade in the heart of Shuja’iyya, forces from the Counter-Terrorism Unit (Lotar), together with the 74th Battalion, encountered a Hamas terrorist cell within a school compound in the area.
The Israeli forces fought the terrorists for hours.
The terrorists attempted to draw the force into a deadly ambush and were eliminated. The troops continued to conduct searches in the area of the school and found a number of AK-47 rifles, grenades, and ammunition inside the classrooms.
The soldiers searched the area of the school and discovered a tunnel shaft inside one of the classrooms. The tunnel route led to a mosque in the area. This is another example of Hamas’s cynical abuse of schools and mosques, turning places that should be safe havens for children and worshipers into hideouts for terrorists.
A special squad from the Counter Terrorism Unit (Lotar) is operating in the Gaza Strip for the first time as part of the 188th Brigade. The squad includes soldiers specialized in breaching and demolitions, as well as snipers, who have been operating with elite units since the start of the ground operation.
Some Tunnels Have Elevators
Furthermore, IDF ground troops located and struck a tunnel shaft that was part of an extensive underground route in Shuja’iyya.
The troops found an additional tunnel shaft in which numerous weapons and an elevator were found.
IDF ground troops also spotted a number of terrorists armed with anti-tank missiles approaching the troops during operations in Shuja’iyya and directed an IDF helicopter to strike the cell, eliminating the terrorists before they could open fire at the troops.
Operations in Beit Hanoun, Elsewhere
During operational activity in the area of Beit Hanoun, IDF troops struck terrorists who shot at them from inside an UNRWA school and a mosque.
Overnight Friday into Saturday, Israeli naval troops struck terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip where IDF ground troops had spotted several terrorists.
In addition, a number of terror targets affiliated with other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip were struck overnight, including infrastructure and vessels used for terrorist purposes.
