Hamas trying to slow down Israel military's advance into Gaza City

As the number of Palestinian deaths from nearly four weeks of bombardment rose, Israeli tanks and troops pressed towards Gaza City on Thursday but encountered strong resistance from Hamas terrorists using mortars and hit-and-run attacks from tunnels.

The Islamist group is based in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, which is the main population centre under attack. Israel, which promises to completely destroy Hamas, has been ordering people to leave the region.

“We are at the gates of Gaza City,” Israeli military commander Brigadier General Itzik Cohen told the media.

According to residents and videos released by both groups, fighters from Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad were firing at tanks from tunnels before reentering the network to conduct guerrilla-style operations against a far more formidable army.

Israeli officers have emphasised the challenges of fighting in a city. For the time being, it seems that their plan is to concentrate a sizable force in the northern Gaza Strip instead of conducting a ground invasion throughout the region.

On October 7, Hamas terrorists crossed the border, sparking the start of the most recent war in the long-running conflict. In the deadliest day in its seventy-five-year history, Israel claims to have killed 1,400 people, the majority of whom were civilians, and taken over 200 hostages.

Following that, 3,648 children and at least 8,796 other people have died as a result of Israel’s bombardment of the 2.3 million-person Palestinian enclave, according to Gaza health authorities.

Despite the fact that the United States and other Western countries have historically backed Israel, horrifying pictures of bodies buried under debris and the terrible conditions inside Gaza have led to calls for moderation and global demonstrations.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the right-wing prime minister of Israel, is aware that defeating Hamas is essential to his future and legacy.

(With agency inputs)