Israeli Defense Forces soldiers kill two Hamas fighters in a fierce close-quarters battle inside a building in southern Gaza, newly released video shows.
Shocking footage of the battle, uploaded to social media on Tuesday, begins with members of the IDF's 101st Battalion Combat Team fleeing gunfire on the second floor of a barricaded building in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza's largest city. .
Bullets from the stairs flew into the room where Israeli troops were gathered, and one of the soldiers miraculously avoided the gunfire that erupted beyond the doorway.
As soldiers wearing body cameras step back, explosives are thrown into the room and IDF fighters are evacuated.
After another round of gunfire and explosions on the second floor, several members of the combat team were seen coming down the stairs and firing before the fighting finally ended.
A follow-up investigation of the area revealed that two Hamas operatives had been killed at the bottom of the stairs.
The Israeli Defense Forces said seven soldiers were injured and a K-9 unit scouting the building was killed in the chaotic battle.
According to the IDF, the fighting broke out after members of the combat team inspected an area where Israel had carried out airstrikes and tank attacks against Hamas.
Israeli forces discovered a cache of Hamas weapons, grenades and ammunition inside the building, along with two terrorists.
Khan Yunis remains a hotbed of war between Hamas and Israel, as the IDF seeks to gain “operational control” in southern Gaza as well as in northern Gaza.
Recent fighting left three IDF soldiers dead on Monday. Along with six other soldiers killed in fighting in central Gaza, Monday was one of the deadliest days for Israeli forces since fighting began in the Palestinian enclave.
Despite the losses, the IDF says it remains committed to winning the war in southern Gaza, and recently members of the Jivati Brigade touted the destruction of a Hamas outpost at the Islamic University of Khan Younis. ing.
At the university, the IDF said it found several rifles and ammunition in a classroom, as well as a safe containing Hamas flags and terrorist organization funds.
According to the Israeli military, a search around the university also uncovered a weapons warehouse containing about 100 mortar shells, hand grenades, explosives and maps used by Hamas.
“Kalashnikovs destroyed the entire place where the young generation was supposed to receive higher education,” the Khivati Brigades said in a statement, referring to the type of rifle used by Hamas.
