The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) 401st Armored Brigade located an explosives lab in a residential area of northern Gaza, the IDF said on December 4. The 401st Armored Brigade has been involved in a two-month operation to clear terrorists from Jabaliya. It was in the context of this mission that the unit continued to uncover weapons and munitions used by terror groups.
Despite two months of combing Jabaliya for gunmen, the IDF still faces threats in the area, illustrating the challenges it has in Gaza after more than a year of fighting. In Jabaliya, which is a suburb of Gaza City and includes a dense built-up area that is part of a historic refugee camp, there were around 60,000 civilians in early October. Israeli troops had fought in Jabaliya at least twice during a year of ground maneuvers but had never fully cleared it. In early October, the IDF called on civilians to evacuate, and the 162nd Division was sent into Jabaliya. After weeks of slow progress, most of the civilians left, but Hamas remained. The IDF estimated in mid-November that it had eliminated 1,000 terrorists in Jabaliya and detained another 1,000.
Colonel Liron Batito, the head of the Givati Brigade, an infantry unit fighting alongside the 401st Armored Brigade, recently told Ynet that it could take up to another month to fully clear the area. Batito was asked about what might come next after Jabaliya, and if Hamas poses a threat by continuing to control parts of Gaza City. “There are many terrorists in Gaza City […] and a [Hamas] brigade commander, Saad Haddad, who is organizing them. There’s plenty to do there,” he said.
The 401st Armored Brigade continues to destroy terrorist infrastructure and eliminate terrorists, according to the IDF. “During last week’s operation, the fighters located an explosives laboratory where they stored production parts and grenades inside a residence. In addition, in the raids, dozens of weapons, a lot of military equipment, vests, RPG missiles, anti-tank rockets, and other combat equipment were confiscated and destroyed,” the IDF said in a Hebrew statement on December 4. One soldier from the brigade was killed in northern Gaza on November 30.
In a neighboring sector of northern Gaza, the Kfir Brigade also operated against Hamas in parts of Jabaliya and Beit Lahiya. “During these operations, the soldiers eliminated terrorists and uncovered and neutralized many explosive traps intended to harm IDF troops,” the IDF said on December 2. In one incident, troops found a building rigged with explosives. The IDF also uncovered camera footage showing how Hamas had rigged one of the buildings with an improvised explosive device. This is the type of threat the IDF increasingly faces in Gaza, as Hamas members rarely make an appearance or can get close to IDF troops without being detected and eliminated on the ground or from close support airstrikes.
While fighting continues in northern Gaza, the IDF also operates in southern Gaza near the Egyptian border and in central Gaza around the Netzarim Corridor. The 99th Division is the latest IDF unit to control the corridor, as units rotate in and out of this sector every several months. The IDF said that seven terrorists who had taken part in the October 7 attack on Israel were eliminated in a recent strike in this area. In addition, “the 179th and 551st Brigades conducted several targeted raids in the area, during which they dismantled Hamas military terror sites, including military structures, observation posts, and sniper positions,” the IDF said.
With a ceasefire in Lebanon that came into effect on November 27, the IDF could focus increasingly on Gaza. This effort could take the shape of a push for a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas. IDF Deputy Chief of the General Staff Amir Baram visited Gaza on December 1 to meet with three divisions deployed in the strip: the 162nd in the north, the 99th in the center, and the 143rd in the south. Baram praised the 162nd Division for its work in Jabaliya and Beit Lahiya and said operations will “intensify until Hamas is destroyed and collapses in the northern Gaza Strip.”
Major General Baram also said Israel continues to focus on the return of hostages. Israel says Hamas holds 101 hostages in Gaza, some of whom have been killed. On December 2, the IDF said it had concluded that IDF Captain Omer Neutra, a tank commander, was killed on October 7, 2023, and his body is held in Gaza. Neutra, who is a US citizen, was previously thought to be alive. His parents spoke at the Republican National Convention in July. They also spoke to CNN on the eve of Thanksgiving on November 27, hoping for the return of their son.
