Unraveling the Israeli Military’s Intense Encounter with Urban Warfare in Gaza

The Israeli military announced on Monday that its bombardment of Gaza was not just a retaliation for Hamas’s surprise, multi-front attack on Israel, but also a strategic operation to target known Hamas sites with precision strikes.

However, the Israel Defense Forces now face the challenge of having to enter Gaza’s densely populated area, which is home to over 2 million people, in order to hunt down Hamas militants.

Gaza City, at the heart of the Gaza Strip, is a maze of streets and alleyways where Hamas fighters can easily hide among civilians and stash their weapons.

While Israel boasts one of the most advanced and well-equipped armies in the region, urban warfare poses significant risks for any military force.

Reserve Major General Yair Golan, who has led troops into battle in Gaza multiple times, described it as one of the densest places on earth.

“And you have Gaza on the surface — you also have Gaza of the subterranean,” Golan added, referring to the underground tunnels used by Hamas.

Hamas claims to have constructed 300 miles of hidden networks, and training videos have shown fighters emerging from underground holes to launch attacks.

In 2014, CBS News was shown a tunnel dug by Hamas that stretched all the way to the Israeli border.

Many of the estimated 200 hostages taken by Hamas are believed to be held in these underground mazes, further complicating a full-scale assault.

While previous ground incursions, such as the one in 2014, saw Israeli forces invade and withdraw within weeks, this operation is expected to last much longer.

“Two years, three years, five years doesn’t matter. We are going to protect our civilians,” said Golan.