Day 171: Hamas reportedly shocked at IDF success in ongoing Shifa operation

Hamas is shocked at the scale of success the Israel Defense Forces has had in their operation in Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital so far, according to a source quoted in the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is considered to be a Hezbollah mouthpiece.

“The scale of the IDF’s incursion of Shifa Hospital and the importance of the figures arrested or killed cannot be underestimated,” an official from the “Palestinian Resistance in Gaza” said.

Despite Israel's successes, the official noted, “The resistance and its flexible structure are not based on the guidance of one person,” and “the state of the resistance is still good,” adding that it is possible to absorb the losses suffered so far.

“One hundred and seventy terrorists were neutralized... The IDF apprehended hundreds of terror suspects with confirmed ties to Hamas or Islamic Jihad, making this one of the most successful operations since the start of the war,” IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari said in a Sunday evening briefing.

Israeli soldiers so far have arrested about 500 terrorists confirmed to be linked with the terrorist organizations Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the IDF stated Monday.

“A large number of these terrorists were involved in planning and executing the brutal massacre of October 7,” Hagari added.

In a previous statement, the spokesman noted that the identities of very senior Hamas figures arrested in the operation couldn't be revealed yet.

He also said that Hamas terrorists were firing from the hospital’s emergency room and maternity ward, and throwing explosive devices from the burn ward.

“Terrorists hiding around the hospital fired mortars at our forces, causing extensive damage to the hospital buildings. I repeat: Hamas is firing mortars at the Shifa hospital,” Hagari said.

“Hamas is destroying the Shifa Hospital. Hamas hijacked the Shifa Hospital and hides behind the sick and injured, waging war from inside.”

As part of clearing operations, soldiers from the Nahal Brigade reconnaissance unit eliminated several more gunmen in face-to-face encounters, and located many weapons hidden in the MRI complex, inside various medical devices, and in the ceiling of the hospital, the IDF stated Monday.

“Sixty rounds of ammunition, grenades, magazines, equipment, guns, Kalashnikovs, computers, video equipment, cameras. Everything was in caches, hidden either inside the roofs or in caches under the floor and inside the bathrooms,” said Lt.-Col. Naor Bobalil, commander of the Nahal reconnaissance unit.

In the central Gaza Strip, the Nahal Brigade battlegroup continued fighting against the two remaining Hamas battalions in the area and eliminated several terrorists.

During a sniper ambush, an individual identified as a terrorist was spotted moving in and out of a tunnel shaft nearby. An aircraft engaged and neutralized the terrorist shortly after.

On Monday afternoon, a salvo of eight rockets was fired at the city of Ashdod in Israel, the first launch toward that area since January. Two rockets were intercepted, with the rest falling in open areas, Army Radio reported.

The barrage was allegedly launched from Deir al-Balah, one of the last Gazan towns that the IDF hasn’t entered in force, and the stronghold of the two remaining Hamas battalions in the area.

In southern Gaza, the 98th Division continued raiding terror targets in the al-Amal neighborhood of Khan Younis after surrounding it and cutting it off from other areas. More than 20 terrorists were killed in that location during the past 24 hours.

IDF field investigators and Shin Bet domestic intelligence coordinators interrogated dozens of Palestinian suspects over the last day and have allowed hundreds of Gazans to leave the area, the IDF stated.

Israeli ground forces continued to receive effective air support, with fighter jets striking about 50 terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip. In additional Air Force strikes, combat helicopters and aircraft eliminated about 10 terrorists and attacked additional targets while assisting ground forces.