In a statement released on their Telegram channel, Hamas’ military wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, claimed to have successfully targeted an Israeli Merkava tank with a guided missile.
The group reported that the enemy armored vehicle was attacked while repelling an assault by Israeli forces east of Shuja’iyya.
As of now, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) command has not provided any information regarding a clash in this area.
On October 28, Israel announced the beginning of the second phase of the war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the second stage of military operations commenced with the deployment of new ground troops into the Gaza sector on the evening of October 27.
Earlier, the IDF spokesperson announced that Israeli forces had launched strikes on 150 underground targets within the Gaza Strip. Later, IDF official spokesperson Daniel Haggari revealed that IDF fighters had entered the northern regions of the Gaza sector, expanding their zone of ground operations.
On October 7, Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets into Israeli territory, initiating the “Flood of Al-Aqsa” operation. Thousands of militants infiltrated Israeli territory, seizing dozens of military vehicles and over a hundred hostages. Against this backdrop, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu declared the country to be in a state of war.
In response, the IDF launched a counter-operation named “Iron Swords,” with the aim of destroying Hamas. The Israeli Air Force conducted strikes on hundreds of Hamas targets within the Gaza sector, while the Israeli National Security Council decided to halt the supply of water, food, goods, electricity, and fuel to the sector. On October 13, Israel informed the United Nations that 1.1 million Palestinians must evacuate to the southern Gaza within 24 hours in anticipation of a ground operation in Gaza.
Previously, Hamas expressed their appreciation for Putin’s stance on the matter.
