Israel confirms that the IDF’s special forces failed in their attempt to free several hostages. IDF reports that two soldiers were severely wounded. Hamas says that during the rescue, a military hostage was killed along with several Israeli soldiers.
Both sides tell such divergent stories about what happened, that some observers think they might be describing different rescue efforts. The IDF only confirms that the rescue effort failed and two soldiers were injured.
Daniel Hagari, IDF spokesperson, said: “The troops raided Hamas’s site and killed terrorists involved in the kidnapping and holding hostages.”
Hagari stated that “we will continue to take action in various ways, both operationally and through intelligence with Shin Bet to bring back all hostages and obtain information about them.”
Hamas issued a statement that was very different from the IDF’s.
The Messenger:
The Palestine Chronicle posted a video clip on X that was allegedly attributed to Hamas Al-Qassam Brigades. It purportedly showed bloodstains on a staircase and spent shell casings.
A bloody young man, with gruesome wounds on his head and face, was shown also lying on a sheet. Also included was a clip that appeared to show the same man speaking Hebrew before his death.
Rescue attempts are underway as IDF forces push into Hamas’ southern Gaza strongholds.
Yoav Galant, the Defense Minister, said that there are increasing signs “that [Hamas] has begun to break out in Gaza.”
He said, “Our troops are operating simultaneously in Hamas’s strongholds, both in southern and northern Gaza, in Jabaliya and Shejaiya as well as in the Khan Younis region.”
General Hagari expressed optimism about the war.
We are fighting Hamas terrorists who are hiding underground. “We are killing terrorists and seeing more and terrorists surrender in battle and turn themselves into our forces,” Hagari added, adding that the IDF arrested more than 200 suspects in the Gaza Strip in the past 48 hours.
Hagari stated that “dozens” of these individuals, including Hamas leaders and Nukhba agents, had been turned over to the Military Intelligence Directorate Unit 504 in Israel for questioning.
The IDF flushed several Hamas groups hiding in schools. The UNRWA and UN rules prohibit this.
Times of Israel’s military correspondent Mannie Fabia obtained some amazing footage of the IDF clearing out a Palestinian school of Hamas militants in southern Gaza.
The IDF releases dramatic footage of troops of the elite LOTAR Unit battling Hamas operatives in a school in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood.
According to the IDF, troops of the 188th Armored Brigade’s 74th Battalion, along with the LOTAR soldiers, encountered a Hamas cell as… pic.twitter.com/gZZrWwDtlz
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) December 8, 2023
As the IDF advances further into Gaza’s southern region and their intelligence sources improve, expect these hostage rescue operations to become more frequent.
