Analysis: Excelling Over Israeli Soldiers

Footage of the resistance operations carried out against Israeli forces in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, not only reveals accurate information about the movements and positions of these forces, but also demonstrates a consistency between the execution and the plans laid out for them. They exceed the standards established in military science.

Al Jazeera published exclusive footage on Saturday of two ambushes carried out by the Hamas Qassam Brigades in central Khan Yunis. These ambushes were part of the “Stones of David” series, during which Israeli soldiers were killed and tanks and military vehicles destroyed.

The footage showed the detonation of vehicles and clashes with forces at point-blank range and in open areas. The fighters’ conversations during the operations also revealed a clear understanding of the unit to which these forces belong and their operations.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority (IBA) reported that Palestinian fighters have become familiar with the movements and positions of Israeli forces and are attacking them.

However, military expert Major-General Fayez al-Duwairi says that what the IBA is saying is not new, as it was clear in all the operations that took place throughout the months of the war. He points out what is important in these operations “is the implementation of plans with a success rate of up to 99%, while the global consistency rates start at 70%.”

Effective Command and Control


Al-Duwairi says this consistency “confirms the great effectiveness of the command and control system of the resistance factions, which possess accurate information about the occupying forces and base their plans on it.”

The issue is not limited to the high success rates in implementation, but extends to its method which the military expert says has not occurred in any previous war and should be studied in armies and technical colleges, especially those involved in special forces tasked with highly dangerous missions.

Moving a Qassam fighter in an open area while carrying a Shawaza bomb weighing more than 20 kilograms toward a slowly moving 60-ton tank “is not an easy task because this mechanism causes anxiety in the fighter, even if it is stationary,” al-Duwairi says. The world has never witnessed such progress, with the operation being filmed from three directions, as the Qassam Brigades do. This confirms the resistance’s reliance on the weaknesses of this highly advanced mechanism, namely its ability to surprise the enemy from a blind spot, from which it cannot detect the approaching person. This is evidenced by the fighter advancing toward the tank while its commander stood in the turret.

However, advancing toward the vehicle from its blind spot does not mean the operation is easy, as the fighter is required to move quickly in a very limited space. Furthermore, according to the military expert, the time between defusing the explosive device and its detonation does not exceed 10 seconds.

Footage obtained by Al Jazeera showed Qassam fighters raiding Israeli vehicles and soldiers in Khan Yunis on Friday and Thursday. They targeted Merkava tanks and armored personnel carriers with Shawaze explosive devices and Yasin 105 rockets at point-blank range, and clashed with an Israeli rescue force as reprinted in Jo24.

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Israel Fears Hamas Ambushes in Gaza

The Palestinian resistance has begun to translate into reality the warnings issued by the Israeli occupation army, a few days ago, of the possible escalation of operations against its forces inside the Gaza Strip, according to military expert Major-General Fayez al-Duwairi.

Al-Duwairi explained on Al Jazeera the military operations in al-Tuffah area, east of Gaza City, the “Breaking the Sword” ambush east of Beit Hanoun, followed by another ambush in the same location falls within the context of these warnings.

He said the resistance is still able to survive because of the method of battle it is waging and adapting to the movements of the Israeli army. He noted the resistance forces “are not operationally offensive, but rather tactically offensive…”

Al-Duwairi’s statement comes after the Hamas al-Qassam Brigades, announced, Sunday, it detonated an anti-personnel bomb targeting a number of Israeli soldiers, confirming they were killed and wounded east of the al-Tuffah neighborhood.

As the Qassam Brigades announced the targeting of an Israeli Merkava 4 tank with an Al-Yassin 105 missile east of Tuffah, the Al-Quds Brigades of Islamic Jihad targeted a military barracks and a number of Israeli soldiers in a house with a guided missile.

The military expert emphasized the resistance factions maintain a high level of preparedness, “albeit varying from one battalion to another,” in his comment on the intensification of operations against the Israeli army.

According to Al-Duwairi, the new Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir came up with exaggerated expectations and an approximation of “zero losses,” based on the deployment of forces in the buffer zone and then a cautious and gradual advance under intense fire.

But, the resistance began targeting Israeli forces and vehicles with ambushes and anti-personnel and anti-tank missiles as the Israeli army began to deepen its incursion into built-up areas and their rubble.

A few days ago, the Israeli Walla news website quoted military sources as saying the Israeli army reinforced its defenses at its military positions in the area.

According to these sources, the army warns of a possible escalation of Hamas operations against its forces, as the movement’s militants are expected to launch guerrilla-style operations.

The Israeli army estimates, according to Walla, that Hamas is likely to launch targeted sniper attacks, ambushes, and other complex operations.

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Al-Duwairi: Israel’s Netzarim Withdrawal is a Retreat, a Strategic Shift

Military strategic expert Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi said the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation army from the Netzarim axis represents a strategic shift in battle with its plan to divide and control the Gaza Strip from its north failing.

Al-Duwairi explained the Israeli occupation army tried to establish a permanent presence in the area but was forced to retreat under the pressure of battles and political agreements.

Speaking on Al Jazeera, Al-Duwairi added the occupation expanded the Netzarim axis to reach a width of 80 kilometers and a depth of between 6.5 and 7 kilometers, and established four main sites supported by four other supporting sites.

He pointed out although the occupation army began to establish infrastructure to enhance the sustainability of its presence, most of its facilities were dismantled, reflecting its awareness of the possibility of withdrawal at any moment.

He explained the recent agreement imposes on it to withdraw from Netzarim permanently. As well the military expert stressed that Israel will neither be able to remain in the Philadelphi Corridor or the buffer zone later.

A different reality


He pointed out that the Israeli plan was initially aimed at controlling the northern areas of Gaza but the resistance made sure this didn’t happen and imposed a different reality which forced the Zionist army to recalculate.

Al-Duwairi indicated that the occupation may try to procrastinate or delay the implementation of the withdrawal, but in the end it is obliged to evacuate the site on the 22nd day of the deal.

Regarding the withdrawal, he explained this move will facilitate the movement of citizens, especially in light of the siege imposed by the occupation’s control of the corridor.

However, he stressed the most important thing is to restore sovereignty – even partially – to the Palestinians, indicating the current scene is radically different from the calculations of the occupation, which wanted to impose a new political reality.

He considered the withdrawal is not just a military step, but carries political and strategic dimensions, as it reflects the failure of the Israeli vision for Gaza and confirms the will of the resistance and negotiation to impose new equations on the ground.

The ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement in Gaza went into effect on 19 January and includes three stages, each lasting 42 days. During the first, negotiations will be held to start a second stage, then a third, with the mediation of Qatar, Egypt, and the United States according to Jo24.

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Al-Duwairi: Hamas, Jabalia and Fall of 28 Israeli Soldiers

Retired military, strategic expert Major-General Fayez al-Duwairi said the military operations carried out by the Qassam Brigades recently in Jabalia camp, north Gaza, resulted in the deaths and injuries of at least 28 Israeli soldiers, while the occupation army only announced one or two injuries.

The Hamas military wing, the Qassam Brigades in footage, Saturday showed the destruction of seven Israeli military vehicles in the Jabalia camp; including the targeting of Merkava tanks, military bulldozers, and an armored personnel carrier with shells and missiles from close range.

Injured but fighting

Al-Duwairi explained on Al Jazeera the Qassam footage included several remarkable qualitative operations. He noted what was most surprising was the operation made by one of the injured fighters by targeting a Merkava tank using an explosive charge.

He added: “The first [camera] shot has more than one dimension, as the fighter is talking about his injury, which appeared to be in his hand, prompting him to switch from using a launcher to using a suicide charge, which was more primitive than the previous charges.”

The military expert stressed that what the injured fighter did was an “extraordinary act”, explaining that “no ordinary person or even a trained person can do such an act, especially with an injury to his hand and to get to a tank equipped with all capabilities and potentials”.

In detailing the human losses, Al-Duwairi explained that the armored personnel carrier carries 11 soldiers, and the tank carries a minimum of 4 soldiers with the possibility of the number reaching 10 soldiers, noting the operations included targeting thress tanks, two bulldozers and an armored personnel carrier.

Al-Duwairi pointed out to the nature of the area in which the confrontations took place. He stressed it is a completely rubbled destroyed area were fighters are emerge, adding: “They are a group of fighters, if they had reinforcements the occupation army would not have been able to confront them”.

He pointed out in this situation the large mechanisms of the occupation army “become blindspots”, making their targets possible, but reaching them remains extremely difficult due to the presence of the “quadcopter” aircraft covering the skies of the area.

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Analysis: Hezbollah’s War Strategy Against Israel

Military and strategic expert Fayez al-Duwairi said the resistance’s performance witnessed a qualitative development. He pointed to a recurring pattern pf targeting the Israeli depth reaching a distance of 145 kilometers from the Lebanese border.

He explained that this development is accompanied by an increasing focus on targeting strategic military bases in Israel.

Al-Duwairi continued the resistance has begun to target the main strengths of the Israeli army, specifically the armored forces on the Blue Line and the air bases from which the aircrafts take off from.

He stressed targeting air bases is a strategic priority for them, as hitting a vital part of any base can disable them for hours, which reduces the number of sorties.

In his assessment of missile capabilities, the military expert explained the current range of missiles requires them to be launched from a depth of no less than 160 kilometers, pointing to the diversity of the missile systems used, as the Fateh missiles, for example, have a range of 300 kilometers, while the payload of the explosive warheads ranges between 70 and 500 kilograms.

Dense Barrages

Regarding the tactics used, Al-Duwairi pointed out Hezbollah’s strategy is to flood the skies of Israel with dense barrages of missiles, simultaneously with sending drones.

He pointed out that this tactic exploits the weaknesses of the Israeli Iron Dome system, which has only 10 batteries, while it needs 14-17 batteries to cover the all of the Israeli-occupied Palestine.

The military expert warned of the limited efficiency of the Israeli defense system, which does not exceed 65%, even with its reinforcement by the Iron Beam and the David’s Sling systems.

He explained the resistance exploits these loopholes by launching short-range missiles to flood the batteries, followed by long-range missiles or drones, which are tactics that have proven successful on several occasions.

Al-Duwairi stressed that the success of this strategy depends on precise coordination between different types of weapons and the appropriate timing of attacks, noting that the resistance is demonstrating an increasing ability to manage military operations with high efficiency.

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