Brigades from the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas Al Qassam movement reported that they struck Israeli tanks and armored personnel carriers in the eastern Gaza Strip, according to RIA News. The militants claimed to have used Yasin 105 guns to hit five Israeli tanks and an equal number of armored personnel carriers in that area. The assertions come as part of ongoing reporting on the conflict and reflect the statements issued by Hamas sources in Gaza.
Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces stated that on the night of December 4, an operation targeted 200 military sites belonging to the Palestinian Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip. The claim highlights the scale of Israeli activity during the latest phase of the fighting and underscores the intensity of the engagements between the two sides in the region.
On October 27, Israel signaled the expansion of its ground operation in Gaza. While the precise start date of the operation remains unclear, the event coincided with a massive displacement of Palestinians, who moved from their homes to shelters and to the southern parts of the region seeking safety. By November 5, Israeli forces had surrounded Gaza City and severed the main supply routes, with clashes continuing in central Gaza as the operation progressed.
By November 22, discussions between Israel and Hamas had centered on the potential release of captives. On November 24, a ceasefire agreement formally took effect, and during that ceasefire week Hamas released 110 hostages. The truce held for a period, allowing limited humanitarian access and pauses in fighting as negotiators pursued broader arrangements. When the ceasefire components were paused on December 1, hostilities were suspended for a week, during which Hamas again released 110 hostages as part of the agreed sequence. The evolving dynamics of this arrangement illustrate the delicate balance between military action and diplomatic efforts in the Gaza corridor.
Earlier reporting from other outlets noted the toll of the conflict on participants. It was reported that Israeli forces had suffered a substantial number of fatalities among their troops since the current phase of fighting began, with figures cited by various sources indicating hundreds of soldiers lost in operations over the period in question. The numbers attributed to these losses have varied as different agencies and observers tracked the campaign over time.