The IDF said Thursday that it had gained full operational control over the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City, a location that experienced intense fighting during the ground offensive against Hamas.

The IDF said that the 36th Division has successfully dismantled the “core capabilities” of Hamas in Shejaiya. Despite gaining control, the IDF will continue limited operations in the area to eliminate remaining Hamas infrastructure and target any operatives still in hiding.

Throughout the battles in Shejaiya, IDF troops faced numerous Hamas terrorists who engaged with troops in gun battles and detonated explosives. In one major incident, nine soldiers, including two senior officers, were killed in an ambush by Hamas.

The military operation led to the destruction of numerous tunnel shafts discovered in residential homes, educational institutions, and health clinics, alongside the seizure of weapon caches.

Further successes cited by the IDF include the Golani Brigade’s raid on homes of senior Hamas members, resulting in the capture of valuable intelligence materials. The 188th Armored Brigade seized the headquarters of Hamas’s Shejaiya battalion, identified as a key location from where terrorists launched their October 7 attacks in southern Israel.

The Paratroopers Brigade’s efforts in the area led to the demolition of over 100 buildings used by Hamas, the discovery of additional tunnel shafts, and the arrest of several terrorists, including a Hamas company commander and terrorists involved in the October 7 massacres.

Additionally, the Bislamach Brigade carried out demolitions of buildings used by Hamas, contributing to the IDF’s overall operational achievements in the Shejaiya neighborhood.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)