The dust clouds above Shati refugee camp may be the sole indication of life inside the labyrinth of dense structures and debris waves comprising the refugee camp, which recently housed a city with more residents than Holon. The refugee tents that once filled the northern camp's streets, near the area adjacent to the aid distribution center, have disappeared completely, along with their inhabitants.
🚨 Progress of the IDF ground operation in Gaza City: Arab OSINT sources analyzing satellite images claim that the IDF has effectively taken control of most neighborhoods in Gaza City except for Rimal, Zaytoun, Daraj, the Old City, and the Shati refugee camp.
In other words, the… pic.twitter.com/tvzUf9qZW6
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The IDF expresses great satisfaction with successfully evacuating the majority of the civilian population from Gaza City's surroundings, and in Shati refugee camp, virtually nobody appears to remain. "For me, absence of civilian population is extremely beneficial, I can operate relatively freely without injuring those who shouldn't be injured," states Lt. Col. Itamar, reconnaissance battalion commander of the School for Infantry Corps Training, speaking to reporters clustering around him. "I eliminated numerous terrorists here, but I can state we didn't kill civilians," he declares with evident pride.
There are clear results from the efforts of both brigade combat teams, 188, and the School for Infantry Corps Training, working in Shati refugee camp. Forces detected a terrorist trying to embed an explosive device adjacent to a Namer armored vehicle. Fighters engaged the terrorist and neutralized him, and shortly afterward, an additional terror squad was detected in that vicinity – via collaboration between the brigade's fire support element and air force aircraft, the squad was neutralized.
The combat day the forces underwent reveals something about Hamas' revised tactics. No more street-by-street battles and entrenchment in facilities such as schools and hospitals, but rather swift-moving guerrilla warfare frantically attempting to harass the IDF and convert isolated tactical gains into a combat turning point. "I'm confident guerrilla warfare is winnable and we can deny the adversary their operational zones," Lt. Col. Itamar states assuredly while positioned within an explosive arena Hamas had prepared for its operatives that was uncovered beforehand.
Documentation of one of the attacks in the Shati refugee camp pic.twitter.com/9tsJA8AWj6
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"They position high-powered explosives and conceal themselves nearby. They actually create openings in building walls, enabling rapid movement to exploit explosive impacts on forces," the veteran commander clarifies regarding the terror group's methodology. Lt. Col. Itamar understands intimately the hazards of engaging guerrilla units in urban terrain. He sustained sniper wounds in May last year, two days following our previous encounter. Currently, he navigates nimbly among the debris and swiftly ascends the stairs to battalion headquarters, where an unusual collection is presented to us.
While clearing structures, soldiers discovered a papier-mâché replica of the Temple Mount, featuring Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. This represents detailed work that apparently requires a substantial time investment. Adjacent to it rest two Kalashnikov rifles constructed, seemingly, from identical papier-mâché, evidently an educational endeavor by Hamas personnel. "We're pleased to preserve this here, it provides us insight into what we're combating," the battalion commander states with satisfaction.
The IDF's swift penetration into the refugee camp evidently caught terror organization personnel off guard, and ground commanders indicate the terrorists seemingly lacked time to booby-trap and reinforce the sector as presumably intended. The population's exodus likewise caught Hamas unprepared, which exerted substantial efforts to persuade Gaza City inhabitants and surrounding residents to remain in place.
Arab world bloggers posted numerous surprised social media entries recently, revealing disappointment regarding terror organizations' minimal resistance against advancing IDF units. "Clearly, resistance forces adopted the 'Rafah approach,' attempting to optimize enemy casualties after elements stay behind enemy positions, attacking via 'hit and run' techniques. This approach doesn't appear especially effective to me, given Israel's intelligence advantage, enhanced firepower capability, and capacity to flatten complete neighborhoods using heavy machinery, thereby sealing assault tunnels," concedes Hamas-supporting blogger "Arab OSINT," specializing in combat zone mapping and analysis.
Apparently, the Arab analyst's description matches precisely the IDF's objective in the Shati refugee camp. Demolish structures and tunnel openings, thereby removing terrorists' operational flexibility in the region. Nevertheless, although the approach yields demonstrated tactical outcomes, it generates its own challenge. Numerous terrorists escape or are instructed to exit combat areas alongside civilian populations. Such terrorists await favorable timing and remain completely within terror organizations' fighting strength, merely becoming future problems requiring resolution.
The modern Eitan APCs transport us back beyond the border within that identical enveloping dust formation that covers forces in the Shati refugee camp nearly round-the-clock. We travel in protected, climate-controlled vehicles toward the border, while reconnaissance battalion soldiers and the remaining combat units stay behind, enduring the heat, dust, and peril. "We understand perfectly our purpose here and apart from flies and wipe-based washing, we lack genuine grievances," states Guy, a reconnaissance battalion soldier from Pardes Hanna, displaying a grin. Next to him stands Shlomo, sporting braided locks and the intense look of an experienced soldier. "I long for my nephews, but essentially I'm present for their sake, ensuring they never encounter any terrorist," he informs me, moments prior to my departure, through the dust formation and past the horizon.
