Military correspondent reveals the IDF's entanglement in Jabalia

IDF forces in Jabalia (photo: IDF Spokesperson Unit)

Or Heller, the military correspondent for Channel 13 News, aired an investigation this evening (Monday) covering the IDF's activities in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip. Despite the IDF declaring that the area has been cleared and it appears completely devastated, dozens of IDF casualties have fallen in this area alone, the militants are managing to fire rockets towards the south, and it seems that the end is far off.

"The first Battle of Jabalia lasted 73 days with about 1,000 Hamas militants eliminated. 63 IDF soldiers fell during the first Battle of Jabalia, the IDF is pulling out from there, and on December 19, 2023, the division declared the end of the occupation of Jabalia," says Heller.

Here he quoted the words of the IDF spokesperson at the time who said: "At the end of a stubborn and determined fight, we dismantled Hamas's military framework in Jabalia, Hamas does not operate in this area in an organized manner, we have stripped away the central terror capabilities in the region."

Then, Heller continues to elaborate: "However, a few months later, in May 2024, the second Battle of Jabalia begins. Following intelligence information about the presence of kidnapped bodies, Division 98 re-enters Jabalia, and for 21 days, the forces operate there within the refugee camp, places they had not entered until now."

Ten killed in Division 98, more than 600 terrorists killed for Hamas, and most importantly, seven bodies of our abducted that were brought to an Israeli grave. And even then, the IDF declared – Hamas in Jabalia is dismantled.

Now, on the one-year anniversary of the war, on October 6, 2024, the IDF entered Jabalia for the third time. Division 162, which was there a year ago, in a battle that has already lasted 86 days.

Heller added, "So far, we have had 42 casualties in battle, and Hamas has had more than 2,200 terrorists killed, about 1,900 terrorists detained, and 60,000 displaced people who fled south. Jabalia has turned into a heap of ruins, but as we saw, even yesterday, a barrage of five rockets was fired from the Beit Hanoun area, so the blood price continues to claim casualties."