JERUSALEM: Israeli forces are bracing for a gruelling battle in Gaza City, where Hamas fighters are deeply entrenched.
Security experts warn the operation will be difficult and costly due to the dense urban environment.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to target Hamas’s last strongholds in Gaza City and central camps.
Gaza City, once home to 760,000 people, has seen its population swell with displaced civilians fleeing northern combat zones.
The city now features a mix of bomb-damaged buildings and makeshift shelters.
Amir Avivi, a former Israeli general, calls Gaza City the “heart of Hamas’s rule in Gaza.”
He notes it houses Hamas’s strongest brigade and serves as the group’s administrative centre.
A major challenge is evacuating civilians, with around 300,000 residents still in the city.
Israel has urged civilians to move south to designated humanitarian zones, but space is limited.
“You cannot put another one million people over there. It will be a horrible humanitarian crisis,“ said Michael Milshtein, a former military intelligence officer.
Humanitarian aid is being directed south of Gaza City to encourage movement, according to Avivi.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation plans to expand aid sites from four to 16.
However, Gaza’s civil defence agency reports Israeli troops firing on civilians near these sites.
Human Rights Watch has labelled the zones a “death trap,“ while the UN criticises the militarisation of aid.
Milshtein estimates Hamas has 10,000 to 15,000 fighters in Gaza City, many newly recruited.
“It’s very easy to convince a 17, 18, 19-year-old Palestinian to be a part of Al-Qassam Brigades,“ he said.
Hamas is preparing for urban warfare, with Milshtein comparing the coming battle to Stalingrad.
Israeli forces will face tunnels, IEDs, and human shields in narrow alleys and high-rise buildings.
“It’s almost impossible to go in there without creating both hostage casualties and a large humanitarian disaster,“ said Mairav Zonszein of the International Crisis Group.
She predicts massive destruction, stating, “They will simply destroy everything, and then nothing will be left.”
Despite reported disagreements, army chief Eyal Zamir insists forces can capture Gaza City as they did Khan Yunis and Rafah.
“Our forces have operated there in the past, and we will know how to do it again,“ he said. - AFP
