Siege of Khan Yunis

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Siege of Khan Yunis
Part of the 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
October 2023 Gaza−Israel conflict.svg
Date1 December 2023 – present
(2 months, 2 weeks and 2 days)[6]
Siege: 23 January 2024 – present
(3 weeks and 5 days)[7]
Location
Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip
Status Ongoing
Belligerents
 Israel  Hamas
 Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)
PFLP[1]
 DFLP[2]
 al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades[3]
 PRC[4]
Palestinian Mujahideen Movement[5]
Commanders and leaders
Israel Benjamin Netanyahu
Israel Yoav Gallant
Israel Yaron Finkelman
Israel Dan Goldfuss
Israel Yiftach Norkin [he]		 Hamas Yahya Sinwar
Hamas Mohammed Deif
Hamas Muhammad Sinwar
Units involved

 Israel Defense Forces

 Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades

  • Khan Younis Brigade[9]
    • North Khan Younis Battalion[1]
    • South Khan Younis Battalion[10]
    • Eastern (Khan Younis) Battalion[11]

Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades[1]
 National Resistance Brigades[10]
 Al-Nasser Salah al-Deen Brigades[10]
 al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades[3]
Mujahideen Brigades[12]


Casualties and losses

31 soldiers killed
1 Namer destroyed

Per Hamas:
3+ Israeli soldiers killed[13]
5+ SOF engineers killed[14]
2 Tanks destroyed[15]		 Per Israel:
1,300 fighters killed[16]

The Battle of Khan Yunis, which evolved into the Siege of Khan Yunis in late January,[17] is an ongoing battle that began on 1 December 2023 in the midst of the 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip.

Battle

On 1 December 2023, the Israel Defense Forces launched a massive air raid operation on the city of Khan Yunis, with Israeli Air Force fighter jets striking over 50 targets in the area.[18] These air raids and artillery strikes continued for the next few days in large numbers.[19]

On 3 December, Israeli forces announced the expansion of the ground invasion to the south of Gaza using ground and armored forces.[20] On the same day, Hamas announced that it had targeted Israeli troops and armored vehicles with mortar shells and Yassin rocket-propelled grenades.

On 5 December, the Israeli forces claimed that their troops had reached the center of Khan Yunis. They stated that this was the most intense day of battles since the start of ground operations, in terms of Hamas fighters killed, the number of engagements and the use of fire from the ground and the air.[21]

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad published a video showing militants confronting Israeli forces penetrating east of the city.[citation needed] Also, Hamas announced that they have counted the total or partial destruction of 24 military vehicles in Khan Yunis. They also stated that they eliminated 8 Israeli troops with sniper attacks and that they successfully demolished a building housing Israeli troops with a barrel bomb and TBG explosives, causing the complete collapse of the building.[citation needed]

On 10 December, the IDF announced that 6 IDF soldiers had been killed whilst fighting in Khan Yunis.[22]

On 18 December IDF announced that the Duvdevan Unit and the Oketz Unit had destroyed multiple tunnels and a drone factory during advances in Khan Yunis while seven IDF soldiers were killed. The destruction of rocket launchers aimed at Israel degraded the ability of Hamas to launch rocket strikes on Israel.[23] It was reported that Hamas was transferring forces from across Gaza Strip to reinforce the Khan Yunis Brigade which the IDF estimates would take months to destroy. [24]

On December 19 al-Qassam Brigades announced that they had detonated a rigged house when Israeli forces entered the building and also announced a separate incident where they trapped Israeli forces in a house and detonated anti-personnel charges and thermobaric shells. The al-Qassam Brigades claimed both attacks killed and wounded Israeli forces but without evidence to support their claims. IDF forces were reinforced by an additional brigade and engineering force.[25]

On December 23 the al Qassem Brigades claimed that they lured five Israeli SOF engineers into a tunnel rigged with explosive at the east of Khan Yunis, and that they killed all of the five engineers.[26]

On 4 January 2024 the IDF claimed to have significantly degraded the command and control of Hamas's Khan Yunis Brigade's northern and eastern battalions with the destruction of tunnel systems, infrastructure and deaths of company commanders. The IDF's 4th Brigade attacked the southern flank of Hamas's Khan Yunis Brigade as the IDF surrounded the city. In turn, Hamas’ naval special operations forces reinforced Palestinian fighters in Khan Yunis via tunnel systems while the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, the National Resistance Brigades and the al-Quds Brigades fought the IDF in different areas of the city.[27]

On 12 January the IDF announced that airstrikes directed by the IDF 98th Division killed a commander in Hamas Nukhba Forces and six other Hamas fighter with the commander participating in October 7 attacks on Israel. IDF also destroyed weapon caches found in the area. The al Quds Brigades attacked an Israeli bulldozer in Khan Younis City while firing mortars against Israeli forces in central Khan Younis together with al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. [28]

On 21 January, Israeli forces discovered an underground tunnel in a civilian area of Khan Younis which contained five prison cells where Hamas is believed to have kept the hostages. IDF published children's drawings as proof the hostages had been held there.[29]

On 24 January 2024, twenty-one Israeli soldiers were killed in an explosion and subsequent building collapse in Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, making it the deadliest day for the Israel Defense Forces since the ground invasion began.[30]

On 1 February Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited Khan Younis and announced that all Hamas battalions in Khan Younis have been dismantled but the IDF had not yet claimed operational control over the area. [31]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Institute for the Study of War".
  2. ^ "Institute for the Study of War".
  3. ^ a b "كتائب القسام تعلن استهداف 18 جنديا وتدمير 24 آلية إسرائيلية". Al Mamlaka. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Iran Update, December 6, 2023". Institute for the Study of War. 6 December 2023. Archived from the original on 14 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Institute for the Study of War".
  6. ^ "More than 180 killed as Israel resumes Gaza assault". Al Jazeera. 1 December 2023. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Israeli military 'encircles' Khan Younis after 24 soldiers killed in Gaza".
  8. ^ "Institute for the Study of War".
  9. ^ "Institute for the Study of War".
  10. ^ a b c "Institute for the Study of War".
  11. ^ "Institute for the Study of War".
  12. ^ "Institute for the Study of War".
  13. ^ https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/1/23/israels-war-on-gaza-ground-shaking-in-hospital-amid-israeli-attacks?update=2642066
  14. ^ "Institute for the Study of War".
  15. ^ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Sk7xVA57dBQ
  16. ^ "Khan Yunis Combat Is More Precise Than Northern Gaza, While the Hostages Are Almost an Afterthought". Haaretz.
  17. ^ "IDF: Completed Siege of Khan Yunis; Hezbollah: Attacked Airbase in Israel's North".
  18. ^ "Real time updates". idf.il. Archived from the original on 6 December 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  19. ^ "Israel's war on Gaza: List of key events, day 58". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 6 December 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  20. ^ "Israel says it has expanded ground operation to every part of the Gaza Strip". CityNews Toronto. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  21. ^ IDF [@idfonline] (5 December 2023). ""אנחנו נמצאים בליבת ג׳באליה, בליבת שג׳עייה וכעת גם בליבת חאן יונס״ - לוחמי צה"ל פועלים במעוזי הטרור של ארגון הטרור חמאס ומנהלים קרבות עצימים מול מחבלי חמאס. מפקד פיקוד הדרום, אלוף ירון פינקלמן: ״אנחנו נמצאים בליבת ג׳באליה, בליבת שג׳עייה והחל מהלילה גם בליבת חאן יונס .אנחנו ביממה העצימה ביותר מתחילת התמרון - מבחינת מחבלים הרוגים, כמות היתקלויות והפעלת האש מהיבשה ומהאוויר. אנחנו מתכוונים להמשיך לתקוף ולהעמיק את ההישג״ לכל הפרטים: idf.il/159230" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  22. ^ "7 soldiers killed, pushing Gaza ground op toll to 104; fighting rages in Khan Younis". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  23. ^ "Seven soldiers die as IDF breaks more Khan Yunis defense lines". The Jerusalem Post. 18 December 2023. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  24. ^ IRAN UPDATE, DECEMBER 18, 2023. "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ "IRAN UPDATE, DECEMBER 19, 2023". Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  26. ^ "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War.
  27. ^ "IRAN UPDATE, JANUARY 4, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  28. ^ "IRAN UPDATE, JANUARY 12, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  29. ^ "IRAN UPDATE, JANUARY 21, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  30. ^ https://news.sky.com/story/rpg-fired-at-tank-triggers-explosion-killing-21-israeli-soldiers-in-gaza-idf-says-13054365
  31. ^ "Israel defeats Hamas in Khan Yunis, over 10,000 Gazan terrorists killed". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 1 February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
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