Zaytoun Neighborhood – Brigade 401
Almost six months ago, when the IDF expanded its maneuver in the Strip into Gaza City, 401 was one of the brigades sent to clear the Zaytoun neighborhood of terrorists and terror infrastructure. “As an armored force, we focused on neutralizing and destroying underground threats,” describes Lieutenant N., a Company Sergeant Major in the brigade, who at the time filled the role of company commander for the mission assigned to them.
Very quickly, the company entered a series of combat procedures. “We learned the characteristics of the area and the tactics. We worked on cooperation with the forces we joined. Alongside these efforts, we also carried out logistical operations such as receiving tanks and training them.”
In the first phase of the operation, the armored soldiers’ activity was more measured and limited than usual, and was restricted to after dark: “We stayed at outposts in the area, and every night we went out on raids. We reached the area, cleared it of terrorists, and took control of it. After that, we could start drilling down and lowering various equipment into the tunnels we exposed.”
In the second phase, their fighting became particularly intense, as 401 deepened their operations within the city. “We encountered and destroyed more and more routes and shafts, and we were required to increase our readiness accordingly,” describes the Company Sergeant Major.
One night, the brigade operated in the field, in a specific area for which they had been preparing for a long time. “Our intelligence indicated a high probability of terror infrastructure in the location,” he explains, “When we arrived and took positions, we identified a booby-trapped structure and fired a shell at it. It exploded, and the entire area around it filled with red flashes of light. We quickly discovered that a significant weapons cache, rigged by Hamas terrorists, was hidden there.”
The entire operation lasted about three weeks, at the end of which control of the Zaytoun neighborhood area was completed. “Most of the area was cleared of terrorists and its terror infrastructure was destroyed by the company. We left there particularly proud, after experiencing a type of combat we had encountered less before. We felt we had completed the mission given to us.”
Elimination of the Eastern Rafah Battalion Commander – Nahal Brigade
After the ceasefire came into effect, the IDF redeployed to the “Green Line,” from where forces enforce the agreement and continue to operate against terror infrastructure and Hamas terrorists attempting to breach the border. One of the brigades positioned in this area for precisely this purpose is the Nahal Brigade. In their operations there, they participated, among other things, in the elimination of the Eastern Rafah Battalion Commander – Muhammad Jawad Muhammad Al-Buab, and over 40 additional terrorists.
“Our mission on the line involved two channels,” states Major Y., the brigade’s fire support commander. “On one hand, to ensure there are no violations of the agreement by Hamas – whether it’s thwarting attempts by terrorists to cross the line, or thwarting existing crossing infrastructure. On the other hand, to neutralize the Eastern Rafah Battalion and destroy the routes it held in the area.”
Major Y.
Over the past year, the Hamas battalion had established itself within an underground enclave it had dug, from which it launched terror operations against our forces maneuvering in its territory. “We knew that almost all the senior command elements of Eastern Rafah were located there, and they possessed advanced communication equipment that allowed them to communicate with other Hamas terrorists above ground,” describes the brigade’s operations officer, Major A.
After the Nahal Brigade entered the area, the staff and fighters began preparation and learning processes to carry out the mission. “First, we thoroughly investigated and scanned the area, alongside engineering forces, and then we began conducting raids and operating within the identified routes using various means,” explains Major Y. “Our goal was to create conditions within and around the enclave that would force the terrorists to come out.”
A week and a half later, as Major A. recounts, the brigade began to detect “signs” indicating they were approaching the enclave. “We started to ascend to the main route, and accordingly, the number of encounters increased,” he describes. “We felt we were about to ‘touch’ them.”
Major A.
Indeed, three weeks into the operation, just before the brigade was scheduled to be replaced, the terrorists began to try and escape. For example, one morning, the brigade’s fire control center, manned by Major Y., received a report of terrorist movement in the route area. “We immediately contacted intelligence units to try and create a clear picture of the event with the information available to us. A combat helicopter was scrambled to the area, and under our guidance, it closed the loop on the terrorists.”
This, as Major A. calls it, was the peak moment of the operation up to that point, and with it, the brigade’s efforts pushed towards completing the mission: “We knew the area very well by this stage, and with the help of intelligence units, we classified it by zones and the presence of Nukhba terrorists. Where the senior commanders were located, and where the junior ones were.”
“The operation included the destruction of many tunnels and underground routes, ambushes, and aerial and artillery bombardments. All with the aim of ‘forcing’ the terrorists, and primarily the battalion commander, out of the route.”
And so, one morning at dawn, they came out. About 4 terrorists first, and after them, the senior cell as well. The brigade’s forces, knowing this moment would come, were prepared accordingly.
“We had already begun to encircle them from within the underground facility, and reduced the distance until we reached the shaft itself,” continues Major A. “As a result of the actions we carried out there, and in light of our presence, they panicked and fled outside.” Above, a combat helicopter awaited them, directing the forces to the spot where they were hiding, and they eliminated the cell, including the Eastern Rafah Battalion Commander.
“As soon as we heard about the success of the operation, we knew it was one of our greatest achievements so far in the war,” he declares. “We worked very hard to reach this moment, and it certainly concluded our period there in the best possible way. Ultimately, it’s about the commander of the battalion, and the most senior figure who was in the area. His elimination constitutes a significant blow to the entire Eastern Rafah Battalion.”
Evacuation of Casualties in Gaza – Givati Brigade
Over the past year, Givati fighters have engaged in intense combat within the Strip, achieving many operational successes. One of the key factors in the brigade’s ability to conduct continuous fighting for two years is its evacuation forces. They accompany the teams wherever they go, and are in constant readiness to respond to them.
“We are in the Gaza Strip, carrying out static defense operations by opening logistical routes for the war effort,” describes Captain E., a company commander in the Shaked Battalion, who previously commanded the evacuation company in the battalion. “We move in APCs, and usually, we are the first medical force to arrive at an incident and provide treatment to the wounded. Additionally, we often evacuate the wounded to a landing zone.”
Captain E.
Over the past two years, operational medicine doctrine, and particularly casualty evacuation, has completely changed: “An example of this is that evacuation ‘birds’ [medical personnel] began to arrive directly at the incident site. This means that often we operate under threat – while returning fire during treatment.”
Thus, around August, one of the battalions operating in the area where Captain E.’s force was located, entered a booby-trapped site. “I heard a loud blast,” he describes. “The unit that was hit did not respond on the radio, but I knew who was operating with us in the area – and I immediately dispatched the company to the scene.”
“We arrived there first, as we were closest to the incident, and as soon as we entered, we understood it was a mass casualty incident. There was noise and shouting around us,” he recounts. “We began to provide initial treatment, and to classify the casualties according to their injuries and severity. At this stage, other evacuation forces joined us, and we could focus more on treating each casualty. Then, we identified a severely wounded soldier, with four limb amputations, and we understood that he had to be evacuated immediately.”
“We placed a tourniquet on him, and we also managed to bring a field refrigerator to the location. Thus – we also gave him a blood transfusion on site,” continues the company commander. “Within just a few minutes, he had already reached the landing zone, and from there to the hospital. Today he is in rehabilitation. Although it was a difficult and traumatic event, it was a practical case that highlighted the importance of our role – that’s why we were there at that moment.”
“During the war, casualty evacuation times have been significantly shortened, and this evacuation, which took only a few minutes from start to finish, is an example of the development of life-saving capabilities of the medical teams, and the commitment of the entire brigade to our comrades in the field.”
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