Sniper’s Rifle Remains Axiom on Gaza’s Battlefield

Military expert Colonel Hatem Al-Falahi believes the axes of Al-Zeitoun neighborhood (southeast of Gaza City) and Tal Al-Hawa (southwest of Gaza City) are continually active with Palestinian groups putting up stiff resistance there and explains why the Israelis are faltering in their military operations in those areas.

Colonel Al-Falahi of Al Jazeera Satellite Channel made this observation as he commented on the joint operation between Al Jihad’s Saraya Al Quds and the Hamas Al-Qassam Brigades which led to the sniping of an Israeli soldier in the Al-Zeitoun neighborhood.

As per Saraya Al-Quds video, it showed because the Israeli army is fighting from inside buildings, none of its soldiers are able to stick their heads out of the window and/or show their bodies completely.

In contrast, Colonel Al-Falahi says in an analysis of the military scene – the resistance groups are fighting from areas very close to the occupation army.

He said the recent  military operations carried out by the resistance show that the cooperation between the Palestinian factions have become great, especially between the two Islamists groups: Qassam Brigades and Saraya Al-Quds; adding this means they are work together as one unit and there is a joint operations room that coordinates the different military activities.

Sniper operations

Al-Falahi believes sniper operations have a very large impact, in terms of subject and psychology, on the occupation forces. He pointed out these are precise operations carried out against Israeli officers at high levels.

Colonel Al-Falahi recalled a previous report by the Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth, which revealed that the Israeli army monitored the work of Palestinian snipers for 70 hours in the past and concluded a sniper in the Qassam Brigades and the rest of the factions take two or three days to monitor the target.

The daily stated these snipers have the capability to monitor their targets accurately, also concluding that snipers do not carry weapons during their movements, but rather, there are specific points where these are located in.

He pointed out snipers had a very large role in inflicting heavy losses on the occupation army in its war on the Gaza Strip, and added that at least 100 sniper operations have been carried out so far by Palestinian resistance fighters in the Gaza Strip.

The military and strategic expert confirmed that the resistance operations are still ongoing in Gaza, and the “sniper’s rifle” will remain operational for a long time, and the occupation army will not be able to remain in these areas no matter how much capabilities it has.

Resistance factions are fighting fierce battles with the Israeli occupation forces in different areas of Gaza. They have managed to kill Israeli soldiers in ambushes and clashed with them in the  combat axes in the Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City, the center and southern part of the Strip according to the Palestine Information Center.

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Duwairi: ‘High Levels of Combat Efficiency’  

The Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), is offering an unusual performance, military and strategic expert Major-General Fayez Al-Duwairi,  told Al Sawsana website in a recent interview.

He pointed out the recent Shaboura ambush in Rafah, which appeared in a recent video clip, was carried out using a fake tunnel after luring Israeli occupation soldiers into it.

Perfect ambushes

The Qassam Brigades showed scenes preparing and executing two ambushes against Israeli soldiers inside the Yebna and Shaboura camps in Rafah, titled “Death Ambushes Part Two”.

The scenes included luring and monitoring the  soldiers: The first ambush took place in a house inside the Yebna camp, and the second in the mouth of tunnel in the Shaboura camp.

Qassam Tunnels: Types and Strategies

Al-Duwairi explained the first ambush was prepared in advance in a house entered by a number of soldiers, while the second ambush was a fake tunnel under the house, not connected to the main tunnel network.

He pointed out most of the tunnels used in operations are not part of the main network, but created specifically for individual military operations.

Advanced Combat Techniques

Al-Duwairi pointed out the video shows the first force entering the tightly booby-trapped building, with Al-Qassam controlling the explosion from a safe place, which indicates the high efficiency in planning and execution.

He also pointed out the use of barrel fillings in the second operation, which relies on old mines stored underground, reflecting the resistance’s experience in effectively utilizing available resources.

Importance of Battles in Built-Up Areas

The major-general stressed the importance of battles in built-up areas as part of asymmetric wars, where resistance forces rely on accurate knowledge of the location and effective armament to confront the occupation forces with smaller numbers but with greater efficiency.

Appreciation…

Al-Duwairi praised the management of the battles by the Palestinian resistance, describing them as advanced and should be taught in international military colleges. He stressed the resistance on the ground adopt an unconventional approach and is interested in raising the morale of its fighters.

Military pressure and field developments

Al-Duwairi pointed out that the simultaneous battles in the north and south is in line with what Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said about the military aiming to force Hamas to make concessions, especially with regard to the release of prisoners. He pointed out that the occupation army found the bodies of five prisoners, including four soldiers, in one of the tunnels.

Future battles

The fierce battles in Tal al-Hawa and Rafah reveal a high level of combat efficiency among the resistance factions. He expects the continuation of this field rhythm will lead to tangible results within a short period, which may force the occupation army to withdraw again from these areas.

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