Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were caught on dramatic footage facing off against Hamas terrorists inside a school in Gaza City's Shejaiya neighborhood.
The encounter took place between members of the elite LOTAR Unit and the 188th Armored Brigade's 74th Battalion, as they pursued a Hamas cell through the remains of the school building. The tense standoff, filled with gunfire and explosives, ended with the elimination of the terrorists by the IDF troops and tank fire.
During the search of the school, a tunnel shaft connecting to a nearby mosque was discovered, allegedly used by Hamas operatives.
The release of the intense footage coincided with Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant attending a Hanukkah candle lighting ceremony with the troops of the Border Defense Corps' Caracal Battalion. Gallant expressed his belief that Hamas' hold in the Gaza Strip is beginning to break, stating, "We are seeing signs that indicate [Hamas] is beginning to break in Gaza." He also paid tribute to the female members of the IDF, highlighting their significant presence and success in the war.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas has been ongoing for more than two months, with Hamas terrorists storming southern Israel and unleashing a wave of violence that resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis on October 7. A weeklong cease-fire last month led to the release of over 100 civilian hostages taken on October 7. However, fighting resumed when negotiations between Israeli and Hamas representatives broke down over the order of hostage releases.
On Friday evening, warning sirens sounded over Tel Aviv, indicating that rockets fired from the Gaza Strip were threatening the central part of Israel. The Iron Dome, Israel's mobile air defense system, successfully intercepted the rockets. Israel confirmed that it was gathering Palestinian men in northern Gaza for interrogation as they searched for Hamas militants.
Images emerged showing men stripped and kneeling or sitting in the streets with their hands bound behind their backs in the town of Beit Lahiya. Israeli troops reportedly detained men and boys as young as 15 in a school that had been converted into a shelter.
Hamas operatives have also started surrendering to the IDF, with military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari stating, "We are engaged in fierce battles with Hamas terrorists, who hide underground. We are killing many terrorists and seeing more and more terrorists surrendering in battle and turning themselves into our forces." In the past 48 hours, the IDF has arrested over 200 suspects in Gaza, including Hamas commanders and Nukhba operatives.
In central Gaza, Israeli planes dropped leaflets at refugee camps in Nuseirat and Maghazi, combining verses from the Quran and a similar reading from the Old Testament. The leaflets warned Hamas leaders and emphasized the principle of "a life for a life, an eye for an eye."
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting in New York to discuss the "catastrophic situation" in the Gaza Strip, where at least 17,000 people are believed to have been killed in the retaliatory bombardment. UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter to demand a permanent cease-fire. Guterres condemned the deliberate killing of civilians by Hamas but also stressed that the brutality perpetrated by Hamas should not justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
While several delegations, including Russia, China, and the United Arab Emirates, called for a cease-fire, the United States backed Israel's concerns that an immediate cease-fire would only prolong Hamas' reign of terror in the region. Deputy Permanent Representative Robert A. Wood stated, "Hamas has no desire to see a durable peace, to see a two-state solution."
Wood also criticized the Security Council's failure to condemn the events of October 7, highlighting the disconnect between discussions in the chamber and the realities on the ground.
The emergency meeting adjourned without a new draft resolution on the crisis, but the council planned to reconvene later in the day.
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