Insurgency in the North Gaza Strip

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Insurgency in the North Gaza Strip
Part of the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip in the Israel–Hamas war, and the Blockade of the Gaza Strip
Reported military situation in March 2024
Date 7 January 2024 – present (10 months, 2 weeks and 5 days) Location Northern Gaza Strip, Palestine Status Ongoing
Belligerents
Palestinian Joint Operations Room Hamas Palestinian Islamic Jihad Popular Resistance Committees Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades Palestinian Mujahideen Movement Palestinian Civil Police Force[1]	Israel
Commanders and leaders
Yahya Sinwar † Mohammed Deif †[a] Izz al Din al Haddad Ibrahim Biari[2] Faiq Al-Mabhouh †[1]	Benjamin Netanyahu Yoav Gallant Yair Palai [he] Yisrael Shomer Ami Bitton [he] Liron Betiteo [he] Benny Aharon [he] Neri Horowitz [he] Ido Mizrahi [he] Sebastian Haion †[3] Yitzhar Hofman †[4] Eyal Shuminov †[5] Lior Raviv †[6] Matan Vinogradov †[6]
Units involved
Al-Qassam Brigades  Al-Quds Brigades Al-Nasser Salah al-Deen Brigades Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades National Resistance Brigades  Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades Mujahideen Brigades	Israeli Defence Forces  Israeli Ground Forces Bislamach Brigade[7] Givati Brigade Rotem Battalion[8] Golani Brigade 13th Battalion[9] Israeli Combat Engineering Corps Yahalom[10] Kfir Brigade Netzah Yehuda Battalion[11] Paratroopers Brigade 202nd Battalion[12] 7th Armored Brigade 75th Battalion[13] 8th Armored Brigade 129th Battalion[14]
Casualties and losses
20+ militants killed (in early stages, per IDF)[15] 1+ policemen killed	31+ soldiers killed[6][16][17][18][19] 1 Namer APC destroyed 1 Merkava tank damaged 1 IDF Caterpillar D9 bulldozer destroyed

The insurgency in the North Gaza Strip is an armed conflict centered in the North Gaza Governorate, around the besieged Gaza City after Israel announced it had dismantled 12 Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades battalions on 7 January.^[20][21][22]

Several Palestinian militant groups, led by the Al-Qassam Brigades began resurging in territories formerly cleared, after 4 months of bombardment and 3 months of ground invasion.

Palestinian brigades organised and consolidated areas that Israeli forces had withdrawn from, and rehabilitated civilian services such as police forces.^[23]

The brigades launched offensives on areas in the northern Gaza Strip held by Israeli forces. As a result, Israeli troops moved into areas that they have previously withdrawn from.^[24] A Namer APC repositioning in Sheikh Radwan on 19 January was ambushed by a militant with a dual attack, first by a Shawadh IED detonation succeeded by a Yasin-105 rocket-propelled grenade fired by a Al-Qassam Brigade militants.^[25] Al-Qassam brigades ambushed Israeli forces in the Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood on 31 January, targeting two Merkava tanks, damaging one and an IDF Caterpillar D9.^[26]

In 13 May 2024, fighting has been reported in Jabalia refugee camp. The armed wings of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed that their militants are targeting nearby IDF forces with mortars, anti-tank missiles, and machine guns.^[27]

According to the BBC, unnamed senior Israeli military figures told Israeli media that Hamas's resurgence in northern Gaza was due to a lack of a specific plan from Israel's government for the "day after" the war.^[27] In January 2024, Channel 13 News said that IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi warned Israeli leadership in private that their military gains could be eroded without a plan for the post-war management in Gaza.^[28]

In late February, Israeli forces targeted the Zeitoun district in southwestern Gaza City with two brigades, announcing they were attacking paramilitaries in close quarters combat and with missile strikes.

The Israeli army acknowledged stiff resistance from paramilitaries in Zeitoun but not while Israeli vehicles advanced on the district, admitting casualties in three different engagements on penetrating forces on February 21. Fighting was mainly led by the Al-Qassam and Al-Quds Brigades, with minor support from smaller paramilitary groups.^[29]

Al-Shifa Hospital Raid
Date 18 March 2024–1 April 2024 Location Al-Shifa Hospital Status Israel withdraws on 1 April after destroying most of the hospital[30]
Belligerents
Israel	"Hamas" (Alleged)[b] Palestinian Civil Police Force
Commanders and leaders
Sebastian Haion †	Faiq Al-Mabhouh † (per IDF) [31]
Units involved
	al-Qassam Brigades (On the outskirts)
Casualties and losses
2+ soldiers killed

On 17 March 2024, Israeli forces raided Rimal and occupied Al-Shifa hospital following supposed intel that senior Hamas officials had regrouped and were using the hospital "to command attacks".^[32] Two patients on life support at the intensive care unit in the same building had died because the electricity supply was cut ahead of the raid.^[32]

On May 9, Israel renewed operations in North Gaza, sending a force into the Zeitoun district which had faced a major battle months prior. The IDF has admitted that 4 soldiers were killed on the first day. ^[33]

On 12 May 2024, the IDF said that it launched an operation in Jabalia the previous evening "based on intelligence information regarding attempts by Hamas to reassemble its terrorist infrastructure and operatives in the area". According to residents fleeing the area, tanks were seen advancing towards the refugee camp, which was heavily bombarded.^[27]

• Siege of Gaza City
• Battle of Jabalia
• Battle of Beit Hanoun