Battle
On 1 December 2023, the Israel Defense Forces launched a massive air raid operation on the city of Khan Yunis, with Israeli Air Force fighter jets striking over 50 targets in the area.[18] These air raids and artillery strikes continued for the next few days in large numbers.[19]
On 3 December, Israeli forces announced the expansion of the ground invasion to the south of Gaza using ground and armored forces.[20] On the same day, Hamas announced that it had targeted Israeli troops and armored vehicles with mortar shells and Yassin rocket-propelled grenades.
On 5 December, the Israeli forces claimed that their troops had reached the center of Khan Yunis. They stated that this was the most intense day of battles since the start of ground operations, in terms of Hamas fighters killed, the number of engagements and the use of fire from the ground and the air.[21]
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad published a video showing militants confronting Israeli forces penetrating east of the city.[citation needed] Also, Hamas announced that they have counted the total or partial destruction of 24 military vehicles in Khan Yunis. They also stated that they eliminated 8 Israeli troops with sniper attacks and that they successfully demolished a building housing Israeli troops with a barrel bomb and TBG explosives, causing the complete collapse of the building.[citation needed]
On 10 December, the IDF announced that 6 IDF soldiers had been killed whilst fighting in Khan Yunis.[22]
On 18 December IDF announced that the Duvdevan Unit and the Oketz Unit had destroyed multiple tunnels and a drone factory during advances in Khan Yunis while seven IDF soldiers were killed. The destruction of rocket launchers aimed at Israel degraded the ability of Hamas to launch rocket strikes on Israel.[23] It was reported that Hamas was transferring forces from across Gaza Strip to reinforce the Khan Yunis Brigade which the IDF estimates would take months to destroy. [24]
On December 19 al-Qassam Brigades announced that they had detonated a rigged house when Israeli forces entered the building and also announced a separate incident where they trapped Israeli forces in a house and detonated anti-personnel charges and thermobaric shells. The al-Qassam Brigades claimed both attacks killed and wounded Israeli forces but without evidence to support their claims. IDF forces were reinforced by an additional brigade and engineering force.[25]
On December 23 the al Qassem Brigades claimed that they lured five Israeli SOF engineers into a tunnel rigged with explosive at the east of Khan Yunis, and that they killed all of the five engineers.[26]
On 4 January 2024 the IDF claimed to have significantly degraded the command and control of Hamas's Khan Yunis Brigade's northern and eastern battalions with the destruction of tunnel systems, infrastructure and deaths of company commanders. The IDF's 4th Brigade attacked the southern flank of Hamas's Khan Yunis Brigade as the IDF surrounded the city. In turn, Hamas’ naval special operations forces reinforced Palestinian fighters in Khan Yunis via tunnel systems while the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, the National Resistance Brigades and the al-Quds Brigades fought the IDF in different areas of the city.[27]
On 12 January the IDF announced that airstrikes directed by the IDF 98th Division killed a commander in Hamas Nukhba Forces and six other Hamas fighter with the commander participating in October 7 attacks on Israel. IDF also destroyed weapon caches found in the area. The al Quds Brigades attacked an Israeli bulldozer in Khan Younis City while firing mortars against Israeli forces in central Khan Younis together with al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. [28]
On 21 January, Israeli forces discovered an underground tunnel in a civilian area of Khan Younis which contained five prison cells where Hamas is believed to have kept the hostages. IDF published children's drawings as proof the hostages had been held there.[29]
On 24 January 2024, twenty-one Israeli soldiers were killed in an explosion and subsequent building collapse in Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, making it the deadliest day for the Israel Defense Forces since the ground invasion began.[30]
Israel
Hamas
Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)
PFLP[1]
DFLP[2]
al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades[3]
PRC[4]
