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Terror in Uniform: Who Are Netzah Yehuda, Crushed by Gaza\u2019s Resistance? </h1>
<div class="gmail-single-post-meta gmail-post-meta gmail-clearfix"><span class="gmail-author-meta gmail-single-author gmail-no-avatars"><span class="gmail-meta-item gmail-meta-author-wrapper gmail-meta-author-125"><span class="gmail-meta-author"><a href="https://qudsnen.co/author/taktek/" class="gmail-author-name gmail-tie-icon" title="Editing Team">Editing Team</a> </span></span></span><span class="gmail-meta-item gmail-last-updated">July 8, 2025 - </span><font size="1"><a href="https://qudsnen.co/terror-in-uniform-who-are-netzah-yehuda-crushed-by-gazas-resistance/">https://qudsnen.co/terror-in-uniform-who-are-netzah-yehuda-crushed-by-gazas-resistance/</a></font></div> </div>
<div class="gmail-featured-area"><div class="gmail-featured-area-inner"><img width="394" height="237" src="https://qudsnen.co/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/6010335289828034571-780x470.jpg" class="gmail-attachment-jannah-image-post gmail-size-jannah-image-post gmail-wp-post-image" alt="\u201cOne of Netzah Yehuda\u2019s darkest days.\u201d Hamas ambushes Israel\u2019s most notorious far-right battalion in Beit Hanoun.Who are they? Read the full report on the unit\u2019s brutal legacy." style="margin-right: 25px;"></div></div>
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<p>Israel\u2019s infamous Netzah Yehuda Battalion (97th Battalion)
suffered heavy losses in a powerful Hamas ambush in Beit Hanoun,
northern Gaza on Monday. According to Israeli reports, at least five
soldiers were killed and 14 others wounded in the July 7 operation,
described as one of the most damaging in the battalion\u2019s history.</p>
<p>The ambush was carried out by Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing
of Hamas. A resistance commander told Al Jazeera that the resistance
movement planted multiple explosive devices and opened fire on three
consecutive Israeli rescue teams, all part of the ultra-Orthodox and
far-right Netzah Yehuda Battalion. A fourth bomb and light weapons fire
targeted surviving soldiers, resulting in severe casualties.</p>
<p>\u201cWe promise to dismantle this criminal battalion if it continues its
atrocities,\u201d the Qassam source said. The resistance movement also posted
an image on Telegram vowing to \u201cshatter the prestige of [Israel\u2019s]
army.\u201d</p>
<h2>Who Are They?</h2>
<p>Netzah Yehuda, founded in 1999, is one of Israel\u2019s most infamous
military units. Originally created to integrate young Haredi
(ultra-Orthodox) men into the army without compromising their religious
lifestyle, the unit evolved into a home for both religious extremists
and radical West Bank settlers known as the \u201cHilltop Youth.\u201d</p>
<p>This battalion is not just religious; it is deeply ideological. Its
members often hold far-right views and have committed repeated abuses
against native Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. It is part of the
Kfir Brigade under Division 99, known as \u201cFire Infantry,\u201d trained for
fighting across Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza.</p>
<p>The battalion received several awards from the Israeli army,
including for \u201coperational creativity.\u201d It has also drawn serious
international criticism for violent misconduct and war crimes.</p>
<h2>Record of Abuse</h2>
<p>Between 2015 and 2022, Netzah Yehuda soldiers were involved in dozens
of violent attacks on Palestinian civilians. Documented abuses include
arbitrary killings, beatings, torture, and sexual violence.</p>
<p>The most known case came in 2022, when troops from the battalion
detained 78-year-old Palestinian-American Omar As\u2019ad. Soldiers left him
blindfolded, handcuffed, and gagged in freezing temperatures. He died
hours later. The US State Department launched an investigation, and some
Israeli soldiers received mild disciplinary action, but no prosecutions
followed.</p>
<p>Due to repeated human rights violations, US officials have considered
placing the battalion under the Leahy Law sanctions. These would block
American funding, weapons, and training support for any military unit
proven to abuse human rights.</p>
<h2>Deployment to Gaza</h2>
<p>Until recently, Netzah Yehuda operated mainly in the West Bank. Due
to mounting scandals, the Israeli army redeployed it to the Golan
Heights in 2022. But in early 2024, the unit was sent to Gaza for the
first time.</p>
<p>Since then, it has operated in high-risk areas such as Beit Hanoun.
Israel claims the battalion destroyed anti-tank rocket launchers and
tunnels. But resistance forces say the battalion has continued its
pattern of violence, targeting civilians and behaving as an occupying
militia.</p>
<p>Resistance factions view the battalion not just as a military threat
but as a symbol of settler extremism and religious fanaticism. \u201cWe have
targeted this unit multiple times,\u201d the Qassam commander said, citing
past attacks including the high-casualty ambushes in Gaza\u2019s agriculture
zone and on railroad tracks.</p>
<p>Monday\u2019s operation in Beit Hanoun marks the third time in 2025 that
the battalion has been ambushed in northern Gaza. Military analysts in
Israel have called it \u201chumiliating\u201d and said it reflects poorly on the
army\u2019s readiness.</p>
<p>Hospitals across southern Israel declared emergency states due to the
influx of wounded soldiers. Hebrew media described the operation as \u201ca
field of fire\u201d and \u201cone of the darkest days for Netzah Yehuda.\u201d</p>
<p>The operation also raises questions about Israel\u2019s ongoing ground
presence in Gaza. As the genocide drags into its 641st day, and with
reports of over 57,000 Palestinians killed, many believe that no Israeli
military victory has been achieved.</p>
<p>The Qassam Brigades warned that further resistance operations will
follow. \u201cAs long as the aggression continues,\u201d the statement read, \u201cyour
funerals will too.\u201d</p></div>
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