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Military expert Maj. Gen. Fayez al-Duwairi said that Israeli statements regarding control of the northern Gaza Strip contradict the reality on the ground, stressing that the withdrawal of the Golani Brigade from operations refutes these statements.
Al-Duwairi stressed that the launch of 35 rockets by the resistance on Thursday towards Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport confirms that Israel does not control the territory.
These rockets were fired from Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, he said, noting that this means that the resistance leadership and intelligence are still operating strongly in the area, which Israel says it has controlled.
When they are ready, they come out of a tunnel, meaning making sure the ground is free of troops and the air is free of aircraft, he said.
Al-Duwairi also pointed out that the Shujaiya neighborhood is still difficult for Israeli forces because it has one of the two strike forces in the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), along with the al-Tuffah neighborhood battalion.
He said the force forced Israel to withdraw the Golani (elite) brigade from the battle after killing it, as it did in 2014.
The withdrawal of a brigade from the battle is only possible militarily if 40% of its fighters and vehicles are lost, al-Duwairi said, noting that this decision "confirms the reality of what the resistance publishes regarding the losses it inflicts on the occupation".
This decision will affect the morale of the army because the rest of the brigades will wonder why, he said, as well as the losses of equipment can be repaired while the losses of personnel cannot be easily repaired, he said.
Even if the decision is aimed at reorganizing the forces, Israel says, this restoration, according to the military expert, "requires a long time because the brigade is only ready for combat when its strength is at least 90 percent, and the strength of the Golani Brigade is currently less than 60 percent."
Fixed battle lines
Overall, al-Duwairi said fighting is still ongoing in the northeastern part of the Strip, specifically from al-Mansoura Street to Baghdad Street, which was confirmed by the al-Qassam Brigades.
On the southern front, al-Duwairi stressed that there is no change in the lines of clashes, which are all taking place around Khan Yunis (Bani Suhaila, al-Zana, and Abasan) and not inside it because Israel is trying to surround and isolate the city.
Even Israel's destruction of what it said was the "square of leaders" in Gaza City, in Duwairi's opinion, "does not mean anything, because there are many buildings for leaders, and there are even alternative and reserve leaders."
Source : Al Jazeera