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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Al-Manar Exclusive: Maps Show Why Resistance in Gaza is Unbreakable</h1>
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<div class="gmail-reader-estimated-time" dir="ltr">March 24, 2024<br></div>
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<div class="gmail-moz-reader-content gmail-reader-show-element"><div id="gmail-readability-page-1" class="gmail-page"><div> <p><strong> Marwa Haidar </strong></p><img src="cid:ii_lu8m32ut6" alt="manar-03673600017109428854.png" width="395" height="211"><br><p><strong>Maps prepared by Mohamamd Assaf</strong></p><p>Nearly
five months on the start of the Israeli ground offensive in Gaza, the
Palestinian resistance, by its unwavering resolve, still stands as an
impenetrable barrier, despite the relentless aggression and the horrific
genocide.</p><p>Started on October 27, 2023, the ground offensive was
declared with the stated goals of eliminating Hamas and releasing the
captives taken by the resistance group during the heroic Operation
Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7<sup>th</sup>.</p><p>Despite attempts of
advance throughout long weeks of ferocious fighting, the Israeli
occupation army failed to secure its presence in numerous areas across
the strip, and was forced to pull out several brigades from Gaza.</p><p>Al-Manar
has prepared several maps that show the course of the battlefield since
the start of the ground invasion. The maps provide a comprehensive
visual representation of the battlefield’s dynamics and tactical
maneuvers.</p><p><strong>Maps Talk</strong></p><p>On the evening of 27
October, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) launched a large-scale
ground assault on the towns of Beit Hanoun and Bureij in the Gaza Strip.
A day later, the occupation military said the deployed units were still
on the ground, marking the beginning of the Israeli invasion of the
Gaza Strip.</p><p>During the first month of the ground offensive, the
Israeli incursions initially took place at two areas: Beit Hanoun in the
north and in the area near Juhr Al-Deek in the strip’s center, south of
the Gaza City (Map 1 gives more details). The occupation troops then
expanded their presence from the north to the west, and then to the
center.</p><img src="cid:ii_lu8lzffu0" alt="manar-078666900171094329910-e1710943383949.jpg" width="395" height="383"><br><img src="http://english.almanar.com.lb/framework//includes/uploads/2024/03/manar-078666900171094329910-e1710943383949.jpg" alt="Course of the Isreli ground offensive in Gaza" width="750" height="727" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img"><span><strong>Map 1</strong></span><p>By
November 18, the occupation military ended up in cutting the Gaza Strip
in to two halves, the north and the south, and in encircling the Gaza
City.</p><p>Later in December, the IOF attempted to stage a new
incursion in the south, near Al-Qarara city, north of Khan Younis (Map
2). In this stage, the Palestinian resistance was still capable to stage
attacks against the occupation forces in the north.</p><img src="cid:ii_lu8m024h1" alt="manar-07796160017109432718-e1710943448984.jpg" width="395" height="383"><br><img src="http://english.almanar.com.lb/framework//includes/uploads/2024/03/manar-07796160017109432718-e1710943448984.jpg" alt="Course of the Isreli ground offensive in Gaza" width="750" height="727" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img"><span><strong>Map 2</strong></span><p>Two
weeks later (by December 19), the occupation forces tried to expand
their presence in the north, the center and the south (Map3). During
this phase, heavy losses were inflicted upon the IOF who were met by
fierce resistance.</p><img src="cid:ii_lu8m0kwf2" alt="manar-08074390017109432438-e1710943506846.jpg" width="395" height="383"><br><img src="http://english.almanar.com.lb/framework//includes/uploads/2024/03/manar-08074390017109432438-e1710943506846.jpg" alt="Course of the Isreli ground offensive in Gaza" width="750" height="727" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img"><strong><span>Map 3</span></strong><p>By December 22, the Israeli occupation army pulled out several brigades from Gaza, including the <span><a href="https://english.almanar.com.lb/2006193">Golani Brigade</a></span>, after significant losses inflicted upon (Map 4 gives more details).</p><img src="cid:ii_lu8m153g3" alt="manar-00789840017109432156-e1710943743291.jpg" width="395" height="383"><br><img src="http://english.almanar.com.lb/framework//includes/uploads/2024/03/manar-00789840017109432156-e1710943743291.jpg" alt="Course of the Isreli ground offensive in Gaza" width="750" height="727" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img"><span><strong>Map 4</strong></span><p>The
resistance’s say was decisive later in January: The Israeli occupation
can never control the northern area of the Gaza strip, it can only lay
siege to the area and try to make another attempt in the south, in
Al-Qarara and Khan Younis (Map 5 gives details).</p><img src="cid:ii_lu8m1qhf4" alt="manar-00209800017109431861-e1710943862858.jpg" width="395" height="383"><br><img src="http://english.almanar.com.lb/framework//includes/uploads/2024/03/manar-00209800017109431861-e1710943862858.jpg" alt="Course of the Isreli ground offensive in Gaza" width="750" height="727" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img"><span><strong>Map 5</strong></span><p>During February, the Israeli occupation army tried to bolster its military presence in the north.</p><p>In
March, and nearly five months on the start of the ground invasion, the
Israeli occupation military withdrew from several areas in the Strip’s
center and south. It ended up building a 1-kilometer deep path on the
Gaza Strip’s border with the occupied territories in Gaza envelope (as
shown in Map 6).</p><img src="cid:ii_lu8m28a05" alt="manar-035260200171094315810-e1710943902782.jpg" width="395" height="383"><br><img src="http://english.almanar.com.lb/framework//includes/uploads/2024/03/manar-035260200171094315810-e1710943902782.jpg" alt="Course of the Isreli ground offensive in Gaza" width="750" height="727" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img"><span><strong>Map 6</strong></span><p><strong>The Unbreakable Resistance</strong></p><p>By
March 19, the official Israeli death toll, announced by the occupation
military since the start of the ground offensive, stood at 251, with
estimations that the real figures have been far greater.</p><p>Fighting
in an urban environment, the Israeli troops have been facing many
challenging factors that shaped the outcome of the military engagements.</p><p>Of
these challenging factors are the booby traps and shells. These
local-made explosive devices have been used by the well-trained
resistance fighters, frequently at point-blank range.</p><p>Furthermore,
the complex tunnel system in the Gaza Strip is seen by the occupation
army as a serious problem. Fighters can move between the buildings
without actually going outside into the street, indicating that soldiers
are susceptible to ambush.</p><p>On the other hand, the resistance
fighters are seen as a formidable adversary to the occupation army as
they are the native people of Palestine. They are familiar with the
territory in Gaza and have been preparing for this for a long time.</p><p>Ultimately,
the Israeli ambitions have crumbled against the resilience of the
Palestinians, leaving their hopes of conquest dashed against the
achievements secured by the unbreakable resistance.</p><p> <strong>Source: </strong> Al-Manar English Website</p></div></div></div>
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