A source close to the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas told Reuters that the group organized its army of roughly 1,000 fighters into specialized divisions before launching the most deadly attack on Israel in decades.
Videos that Hamas and its military branch, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, published showed some of the activities or training by the forces. Witnesses captured another video of the operation.
More than 48 hours after the assault’s commencement early Saturday morning, an Israeli military spokesman reported that Israeli forces were battling Hamas fighters at six locations throughout Gaza.
TRAINING
Since the last confrontation in 2021, according to a source close to Hamas, the group’s militants have been practicing in Gaza, sometimes conducting drills in full view. According to the source, the drills entailed constructing a fictitious Israeli village to mimic a military landing and preparing to storm it.
On December 28, 2022, the Joint Room for Palestinian Resistance Factions, which is run by the armed wing of Islamic Jihad and Hamas, published photos on its Telegram channel purporting to show images of training for a “raid behind enemy lines” that included training to capture Israeli soldiers.
MISSILE SYSTEM
Hamas claimed to have launched 3,000 missiles in a preliminary barrage at the commencement of the campaign. According to the Israeli military, 2,500 missiles were fired during the bombardment, which began at around 6:30 a.m. (0330 GMT).
The missiles were launched with the intention of shocking and confusing people while giving Hamas combatants cover to scale the heavily reinforced barrier enclosing Gaza and carry out the operation.
FLYING UNIT
Teams of fighters flying in motorized paragliders or hang gliders crossed the border to secure the area for the primary ground attack.
In videos made public by Hamas, the group could be seen preparing for the assault while wearing Air Force Falcon Squadron badges. Certain extremists utilized paragliders for one person or two persons. It shows them practicing landing at a target while armed.
GROUND UNIT OF ELITE COMMANDO
This was a 400-man special squad that used explosives to blow holes in the heavily guarded Gaza border and get across to the Israeli side. After some had already entered on motorbikes, Bulldozers were employed to enlarge the openings so teams could enter Israeli territory in four-wheel drive cars.
According to the source, the commandoes stormed the initial Israeli defense lines, invaded troops’ sleeping quarters, and took control of bases and the command center for Israel’s military campaign in southern Gaza.
The security gates were breached in videos released by Hamas, and the low sun and gloomy lighting indicated that the missile fire had just ended.
ROBOT UNIT
Drones were utilized to monitor the border. In a video it posted, Hamas claimed that drones known as Zouari were employed to clear the way for the incursion. It also made available a video showing militants firing drones from Gaza.
INFORMATION UNIT
This group was responsible for locating Israeli soldiers’ whereabouts, tracking their activities, and monitoring their command centers. The source does not offer any more information regarding this device.
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