Watan-A spokesperson for the Israeli army stated that their forces have not yet been able to defeat the Islamic Resistance Movement, ‘Hamas,’ in the northern Gaza Strip.
The Israeli spokesperson, in statements to the American network CNN, added that the operation is challenging, especially considering its complex military terrain.
#عاجل | متحدث باسم الجيش الإسرائيلي لـ CNN: لم نهزم #حماس بـ #شمال_غزة بعد والعملية صعبة وتضاريسها القتالية كذلك. pic.twitter.com/RxxVS5PJXj
— وطن. يغرد خارج السرب (@watanserb_news) December 4, 2023
Contrary to that, Reuters quoted the commander of the armored forces in the Israeli army, stating that objectives in the northern part of the Gaza Strip have been almost achieved. He indicated that the occupation has begun moving into other areas.
Withdrawal of 70% of Occupation Forces from Northern Gaza
This comes after a source in the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, stated that 70% of the occupation forces have withdrawn from the north.
The leadership source in Al-Qassam stated that the Israeli ground operation is currently concentrated in the southern Gaza Strip, coinciding with limited maneuvering operations in the north. He affirmed that 70% of the Israeli forces have withdrawn from the northern Gaza Strip due to the failure of their operations and the impact of resistance strikes.
🔴مصدر قيادي في #كتائب_القسام يُصرّح:
💥انسحاب ٧٠% من القوات الإسرائيلية خارج شمال قطاع #غزة لفشل عملياتها وبسبب ضربات #المقاومة.
💥الانسحاب من شمال قطاع غزة بدأ مع #التهدئة وتسارع مع ضربات المقاومة في اليومين الأخيرين.
💥#العملية_البرية الإسرائيلية تتركز جنوب قطاع غزة بالتزامن… pic.twitter.com/mGTXBwAtox— وطن. يغرد خارج السرب (@watanserb_news) December 3, 2023
He added that the withdrawal of occupation forces from the northern Gaza Strip began with the temporary humanitarian ceasefire that ended last Friday. He continued, stating that the withdrawal accelerated with the resistance strikes in the last two days.
Israeli Toll of Army Casualties Since October 7
In a related context, Israeli occupation authorities announced a rise in the toll of soldiers’ casualties to 401 soldiers and officers since the commencement of the aggression on the Gaza Strip on the seventh of October last year, including 77 killed during direct confrontations with Palestinian resistance factions following the ground invasion.
However, this toll cannot be relied upon, as Palestinian resistance asserts that the human losses of the occupation forces are multiple times higher than officially declared.