Military expert: The Battle of Jabalia is “life or death” for the resistance, and this is its tactic news

Military expert Brigadier General Elias Hanna said that the resistance is obligated to “continue fighting in the northern Gaza Strip from zero distance and avoid a decisive battle,” describing what is happening as “a matter of life and death” for the Palestinian resistance factions.

Hanna spoke to Al Jazeera on the sidelines of the escalation of fighting between resistance factions and the Israeli occupation army in the Jabalia camp, north of the Gaza Strip.

Hanna believes that the fighting in the northern Gaza Strip has become a matter of life and death, expressing his conviction that the goal is “not to lose the region, and to enter into a battle of attrition with the occupation.”

He said that the resistance benefits from the occupation’s unexploded remnants, as it reuses them as part of a system of detonating explosive devices, anti-tank missiles, and sniper operations.

From his point of view, the occupation’s use of an “incomplete military division,” in addition to the Givati ​​Infantry Brigade, reflects “the size, importance, and difficulty of the target in Jabalia,” which he said is an essential center of gravity for the resistance, its incubating environment, and a safe haven for fighters.

On Sunday, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), broadcast scenes of its fighters targeting Israeli military vehicles with explosive devices and anti-tank missiles, in addition to fierce clashes with Israeli special forces from short distances.

The military expert believes that the occupation’s entry into Jabalia represents “a new form but with an old content,” referring to the possibility of opening the door to settlement in the region if the residents of the northern Gaza Strip are displaced and completely destroyed.

He expressed his conviction that the occupation is racing against time to implement its plan in Jabalia as the countdown to the American elections begins.

The occupation army destroyed many landmarks and buildings in Jabalia camp, by booby-trapping and blowing up some high-rise buildings, and destroying others with aerial bombardment.

The Israeli army imposed its siege on Jabalia, and tried to prevent residents from fleeing to neighboring Gaza City, ordering them to flee only to the south of the Strip, while the Ministry of the Interior in Gaza warned citizens against responding to the calls of the occupation army to “evacuate their homes.”

Lebanon developments

On the northern front, Hanna said that the most important movements of the Israeli army on the Lebanese border are the 210th Division towards the Shebaa Farms in an attempt to separate the Bekaa from the south of the Litani River.

The 210th Israeli Military Division recently joined 4 other divisions participating in ground incursions into southern Lebanon, namely the 98th, 91st, 36th, and 146th.

Hanna, a retired brigadier general from the Lebanese army, stated that the Israeli army wants to surround Aita al-Shaab to isolate it, expressing his surprise at the calm of the Maroun al-Ras, Aitaroun and Yaroun axis despite its importance.

The military expert concluded that Israel wants to control the high points inside Lebanese territory, which overlook the Israeli interior and directly strike its settlements.

He added that Israel “wants to occupy these areas, destroy them, and displace their residents without plunging into a war of attrition,” with the aim of “imposing a new reality on Hezbollah.”

Since September 23, Israel has expanded its war against Hezbollah to include most of Lebanon’s regions, including the capital, Beirut, through air raids of unprecedented violence and intensity, and it also began a ground incursion into its south.

Hezbollah responded daily – following the outbreak of war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023 – with missiles, drones, and artillery shells targeting military sites, Israeli settlements, and targets in central Israel.