Who is the “98th Brigade” that the occupation summoned to confront the resistance force in Jabalia?

The Israeli occupation was compelled on May 13, 2024, to once again deploy the 98th Brigade of the Israeli army, known as the “Fire Formation,” to confront Palestinian resistance in the Jabalia refugee camp, despite announcing on April 7, 2024, the withdrawal of the same forces from the Khan Younis camp, and “ending its mission,” which some Israeli media outlets considered the end of ground operations in their current form in the Gaza Strip.

However, military experts spoken to by “Arabi Post” clarified that the return of the 98th Brigade to field work again reveals the extent of the “military crisis” facing Israel in the Jabalia camp, as this brigade represents the spearhead of the Israeli infantry forces, and its deployment signifies significant resistance and the need to deal with specific geographical conditions.

In this report, we attempt to shed light on the 98th military brigade, its role since the beginning of the Israeli ground war on the Gaza Strip, the implications of its presence in any area, as well as the disagreements that have arisen between the brigade commander, Colonel Dan Goldfus, and Israeli leaders due to the war on Gaza, as well as the future of the brigade in light of the ongoing resistance in the Jabalia camp against the Israeli army forces.

What is the 98th Brigade?

The 98th Brigade is known as the “Fire Formation” and includes paratrooper brigades, commandos, and other special units, entrusted with difficult and complex missions. It falls under the Central Command, and the brigade is currently led by Colonel Dan Goldfus.

The unit was established in 1974 following the October 1973 war under the name Brigade 96 initially. Its first commander was Colonel Dan Shomron, who later became Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army. The brigade participated in the invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and also participated in the July 2006 war on Lebanon. The brigade conducted landing operations for paratroopers deep into Lebanon and along the Litani River. While this brigade was originally an armored brigade that was disbanded in 2013, it was decided to reorganize it in 2016 as an infantry reserve brigade.

The Central Command in the Israeli army is responsible for all units and brigades located in the West Bank, Jerusalem, Greater Tel Aviv, and the Coastal Plain. The main headquarters of the Central Command is located in the Neve Yaakov settlement in occupied North Jerusalem. As of now, the current commander of the Central Command is Major General Avi Mizrahi.

The military strength of the Israeli 98th Brigade

Typically consists of between 13,000 to 20,000 soldiers and comprises assault units, combat support units, air support units, reconnaissance units, combat engineering units, military intelligence, and logistical services. Each brigade within the 98th Brigade ranges from 3,000 to 7,000 soldiers.

Following Operation Al-Aqsa Tempest on October 7, 2023, the 98th Brigade was tasked with occupying the combat sector in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, until its withdrawal on April 7, 2024.

Components of the Israeli 98th Brigade:

1. Paratrooper Brigade: A regular paratrooper brigade and part of the infantry and paratroopers. The brigade is headed by a colonel, and its current commander is Colonel Ami Biton.
2. Dawood’s Cannon Brigade: A regular artillery brigade that relies on precision-guided ammunition.
3. Fire Arrow Brigade: A reserve commando brigade.
4. 55th Reserve Brigade: This brigade is also known as the “Spearhead Formation” and is a reserve paratrooper brigade officially established in 1966.
5. Ouz Brigade, known as the Commando Brigade, is an infantry formation for special operations on land. The Ouz Brigade includes several commando units:
6. “Egoz” Unit: Established in 1995 to combat Hezbollah after its escalation of attacks in southern Lebanon, it was attached as a commando unit to the ground forces.
7. Maglan Unit: A special reconnaissance unit specialized in operations behind enemy lines and deep within enemy territory using advanced technologies and weapons.
8. “Duvdevan” Unit, also known as “The Infiltrators”: This unit was formed in 1986 under the initiative of Ehud Barak.

Exercise in Greek Cyprus

The last public appearance of the brigade before Operation Al-Aqsa Tempest was its participation, alongside other units within the occupying army, in military exercises in Greek Cyprus in 2022. The focus of the training during this period was “building an option for action deep inside Lebanon.” The Israeli army conducted a massive landing operation of thousands of soldiers by air, sea, and land in Cyprus to train for “operations deep inside Lebanon in the event of war.”

These exercises included training for nighttime raids on Hezbollah military compounds, seizing control of the coastline, and destroying Hezbollah’s military infrastructure. These unprecedented exercises posed significant challenges for the Israeli army, as they were among the first exercises to involve operations in an unfamiliar area, far from the country’s borders and deep within Lebanese territory.

During these exercises, Colonel Ofer Winter, the commander of the 98th Brigade, which was among the forces trained for “operations deep inside Lebanon,” stated that “what goes into the warrior’s backpack is what he will get in battle. This means that the supplies available to the fighters are limited, and they must make do with what they have in terms of food, water, and ammunition. Another challenge is the need for communication between the forces in the field and the main headquarters in Israel. The ability to continue the engagement continuously enhances the survival and effectiveness of the overall military effort.” It appeared from the exercises that the forces of the 98th Brigade, alongside some units of the Israeli occupying army, were training early on for armed conflict with Hezbollah inside Lebanon.

The activities of the 98th Brigade since Operation Al-Aqsa Tempest include several battalions that were inside Gaza until recently, including the 55th Paratrooper Brigade. Operations were focused in the Khan Yunis area in the southern part of the strip before its withdrawal and replacement with another battalion on February 1st after spending 55 days inside Gaza. After its withdrawal, an announcement was made about the inclusion of new soldiers and a focus on the use of drones.

Also among this brigade is the 551st Paratrooper Brigade, known as the “Fire Arrows.” It was completely disbanded on December 31, 2023, after its participation in the war inside Gaza.

activity of the Israeli 98th Brigade

It was also important, while researching the activity of the Israeli 98th Brigade Within the Israeli army, to note its role on the day of Operation Al-Aqsa Tempest carried out by the Palestinian resistance on October 7, 2023. Israeli media documented the presence of the Israeli 98th Brigade and its involvement from the early hours of Operation Al-Aqsa Tempest. Colonel Dan Goldfus, the commander of the Israeli 98th Brigade, stated at the time that “we haven’t seen anything like this before. There was no one to talk to. Fighters were flying from one settlement to another, and we are making a tremendous effort to clear every inch of space. So far, we haven’t found any offensive tunnels, and we have ruled out any fears of tunnels in the settlements. We took a hit in the stomach, but we have controlled the front line, and we are now on a major offensive.”

He had a significant media presence at that time, addressing journalists to discuss the aftermath of Operation Al-Aqsa Tempest, saying, “The situation has relatively stabilized and returned to normal. There are still contacts with the enemy here and there in the field or in various infiltration operations, but we are investing in stabilizing the situation. This event happened on a scale we have never seen before, with extremely difficult scenes, mass killings of civilians and homes and trucks being burned, with civilians and soldiers inside. This was an extremely difficult event, it was a massacre.”

The leader of the 98th Brigade criticized the Israeli army’s delay in responding to the resistance’s attack on October 7, 2023, saying, “There was no one to talk to. Only the liaison officer (the liaison officer between the brigade and the command) (Headquarters No. 17) in the southern command, and no one had a picture of the situation inside the Gaza Brigade headquarters.

The Battle of Khan Yunis and the entry of Israeli forces from the 98th Brigade

As the fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation resorted to launching a military operation in Khan Yunis to besiege it and tighten the screws on its residents, as well as targeting the Palestinian resistance. On December 1, 2023, the Israeli army launched a wide-ranging aerial raid on the city of Khan Yunis and announced the expansion of its ground invasion to the south of the Gaza Strip using ground forces and armored vehicles.

The occupation resorted to calling on the 98th Brigade, which includes the commando unit and other special units, to launch a joint attack on the outskirts of Khan Yunis against the Palestinian resistance. The 98th Brigade imposed a cordon around the city, and the combat group of the Commando Brigade and the Givati Brigade reached the center of Khan Yunis.

However, the resistance set a trap for the 98th Brigade in Khan Yunis. As a result of the fierce clashes between the 98th Brigade and the Palestinian resistance, the Al-Qassam Brigades succeeded in destroying 24 military vehicles in Khan Yunis. They claimed to have killed 8 Israeli soldiers in sniper attacks and managed to detonate a building where Israeli soldiers were stationed using explosive barrels and TBG explosives, causing the entire building to collapse. The Israeli army confirmed the death of 6 soldiers during the fighting in Khan Yunis.

Resorting to the Duvdevan Unit.

Due to the intense resistance in Khan Yunis, the occupation forces resorted to deploying the Duvdevan and Aokits units, both of which are affiliated with the Israeli 98th Brigade, to confront the resistance in Khan Yunis. The clashes continued until the Khan Yunis massacre on December 25, 2023, where the Israeli Air Force intervened to support the ground forces of the 98th Brigade, bombing the streets and all the houses in central Khan Yunis crowded with displaced people who had fled from the north of the Strip, killing 31 Palestinians.

Israeli media reports even stated that 7 combat brigades from the military divisions were managing the battle in Khan Yunis under the command of the 98th Brigade, led by Brigadier General Dan Goldfuss. The Israeli 98th Brigade launched dozens of attacks on the resistance to halt the advance of the Al-Qassam Brigades in the military operations. These are snapshots of the 98th Brigade’s forces in Khan Yunis:

Public dispute between the 98th Brigade and the leadership of the occupation army

Amidst the escalating resistance against the occupation forces in Khan Yunis, the Israeli 98th Brigade announced, according to the occupation, on March 4, 2024, a new military operation aimed at dividing the city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza Strip. The Israeli army’s statement claimed that the 98th Brigade forces managed to secretly enter Khan Yunis and imposed a blockade on the Hamad neighborhood west of the city, citing the presence of a large number of infrastructure belonging to Palestinian resistance factions in the neighborhood.

Amidst internal Israeli disagreement and the inability of the Israeli army to decisively win the battle in Khan Yunis, the commander of the 98th Brigade within the Israeli occupation army issued strong criticisms directed at the Israeli government and the army leadership. He stated that what happened on October 7, 2023, was a major defeat, and that “politicians must unite and be as worthy as we deserve and as the soldiers who died deserve.” The brigade commander added, “We bow our heads because of the failure on October 7, and at the same time, we continue to strive for achievements.”

These statements sparked anger from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to the Israeli army radio, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was informed about the statements made by the commander of the 98th Brigade. Hebrew Channel 12 reported, citing an Israeli army spokesperson, that the statements made by the commander of the 98th Brigade were rejected by army leaders. The Hebrew newspaper “Israel Hayom” quoted an officer in the brigade’s commando battalion as saying that the battlefield in the Hamad neighborhood in Khan Yunis was the toughest so far.

On the other hand, Israeli Chief of Staff Hertzl Halevi severely reprimanded the commander of the 98th Brigade, Colonel Dan Goldfus, “for acting contrary to what was expected of a senior leader in the Israeli army,” according to an Israeli army spokesperson. According to Israeli media, Halevi told Goldfus that he “used the trust granted to him in a way that harms the state in the Israeli army, blurring the lines between political and military ranks.”

The Ambush of the Righteous… The final clash in Khan Yunis

Despite the Israeli army’s reliance on the 98th Brigade in facing Palestinian resistance in Khan Yunis, on the twenty-seventh day of Ramadan, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced the execution of what they termed “the Ambush of the Righteous” against the Israeli 98th Brigade, described as the harshest day for the occupation soldiers in the sector. This ambush marked the withdrawal of the 98th Brigade from Khan Yunis after all these defeats and its inability to decisively win the military battle in the city in favor of the Israeli army. Instead, it incurred significant losses among its ranks at the hands of the Palestinian resistance.

Details of the operation “Ambush of the Righteous” against the Israeli 98th Brigade

The fighters managed to target an infantry unit from the Commando Brigade, and after the arrival of armored vehicles, they were targeted with Yasin shells and anti-tank mines. Following the second ambush, there was a chase of the Israeli forces, where the Qassam fighters targeted the rescue forces and soldiers who fled the scene and took refuge in one of the surrounding houses with an anti-personnel mine. They confirmed the killing of 3 soldiers, turning them into fragments, and injuring several others. In the first ambush (against individuals), gunfire was opened on the infantry unit from the Commando Brigade with anti-personnel mines, followed by a barrage of machine gun fire and sniper rifles, resulting in precise injuries that killed some and wounded others. In the second ambush (against armored vehicles), the rescue forces were observed from their assembly point, and they were awaited after the distress call sent to them by the unit that fell into the ambush. Upon their arrival at the designated killing point, they were immediately neutralized, with tanks notably not moving from their positions after being targeted, indicating the accuracy and impact of the attack. Then came the final stage, the purification phase of the operation’s theater from any surviving soldiers, through chasing and eliminating the surviving forces, demolishing the buildings they took refuge in, and eliminating others with gunfire.

The withdrawal of the 98th Brigade from Khan Yunis

The operation “Ambush of the Righteous” sparked a significant reaction both within Israel and within the Israeli army. On the seventh of April 2024, the Israeli army announced its withdrawal from the city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, after six months since the beginning of the war. The Israeli army radio reported that “the 98th Brigade, with its three battalions, withdrew from Khan Yunis after the operation there ended, following four months of continuous fighting.”

Meanwhile, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the Israeli army withdrew its forces from Khan Yunis in southern Gaza on Saturday night, without achieving its main objectives. It confirmed that the victory sought by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not as close as described. The newspaper added that Israeli soldiers are leaving the southern part of Gaza, and Israel is far from achieving the war’s objectives, and now it must face more objections from the West.

Re-Engaging the 98th Brigade

With the intensification of resistance in Jabalia Camp and the failure of the occupation to decisively end the battle, it was once again compelled to enlist the Israeli 98th Brigade to enter the camp and engage with Palestinian resistance. Israeli media reported days before the 98th Brigade’s entry into Jabalia that both the 98th Brigade and the 162nd Brigade were undertaking final combat measures as part of preparations for a ground maneuver there, indicating their imminent entry into Jabalia Camp.

Subsequently, the spokesperson for the Israeli army announced on the morning of Saturday, May 11, 2024, the start of a new operation in northern Gaza, after residents of several neighborhoods were asked to evacuate their homes. The operation began with intensive airstrikes targeting homes and properties of civilians, later transitioning into a ground incursion as forces from the Israeli 98th Brigade advanced into the eastern areas of Jabalia Camp towards its center. Concurrently, the Israeli 98th Brigade continued its operations in the Zaytoun neighborhood south of Gaza City, while the 162nd Brigade operated in the city of Rafah.

The recurrence of the 98th Brigade’s entry into Jabalia Camp underscores its significant importance to the resistance, as well as the ferocity of the resistance there. Jabalia Camp is divided into five brigades by the military wing of Hamas, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, covering each governorate of Gaza, starting from the Northern Brigade, Gaza Brigade, Central Brigade, Khan Yunis Brigade, and Rafah Brigade. The Northern Brigade is further divided into six battalions: Beit Lahia Battalion, Beit Hanoun Battalion, Jabalia Battalion, Western Battalion “Imad Aqel,” Eastern Battalion “Suhail Ziadah,” and Khulafa Battalion. Each battalion comprises a group of companies, with each company containing several factions. It is noteworthy that Jabalia Camp alone hosts three out of the six battalions operating in the Northern Brigade, which covers the territory of North Gaza Governorate.

The resistance has another opinion

Despite the entry of the 98th Brigade into Jabalia, it was not a walk in the park. The Palestinian resistance prepared extensively for the Israeli 98th Brigade’s arrival and managed to inflict significant losses on them within a few days. Israeli sources reported that on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 20 soldiers were killed or wounded in an explosion of a booby-trapped building in Jabalia Camp, north of Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the occupation forces committed more massacres against Palestinian civilians.

This development follows reports from Israeli media about a challenging security incident involving the 98th Brigade (currently operating in Jabalia Camp), with rumors of casualties. Israeli helicopters landed east of Jabalia Camp to evacuate wounded and potential casualties among Israeli soldiers. Palestinian resistance factions announced a series of operations, including ambushes, sniper attacks on soldiers, and targeting invading vehicles in Jabalia Camp to the north and Rafah to the south, resulting in Israeli casualties.

The losses of the 98th Brigade in Gaza

Despite the lack of official Israeli data on the losses of the 98th Brigade in Gaza, whether in Khan Yunis or even in Jabalia, military and strategic analyst Nidal Abu Zeid claimed that the withdrawal of the 98th Brigade from southern Gaza came due to significant recent losses.

Abu Zeid added that the announcement of the withdrawal came at a time when the brigade’s losses exceeded the critical point (35%), beyond which no force can continue fighting, anticipating a complete collapse. He noted the military operation’s complexity in Khan Yunis and the brigade’s failure to achieve any significant field accomplishments.

Former Egyptian officer Colonel Samir Ragab told Arabi Post that the redeployment of the 98th Brigade to Jabalia was due to the occupation’s desire to expand ground military operations again in Jabalia, especially after withdrawing the brigade from Khan Yunis in April 2024 and announcing low-intensity operations.

He also stated that after announcing low-intensity operations in Gaza, the occupation initially kept two brigades from the 162nd Brigade in Netzarim but later retreated, announcing extensive ground operations again in Jabalia. The occupation withdrew the 162nd Brigade and sent it to Rafah, summoning the 98th Brigade to Jabalia to confront the resistance force.

He added that the occupation is “entangled in Jabalia and can no longer withdraw,” indicating that the only option left for reducing losses faced by the occupation from the resistance inside the Palestinian camp is withdrawing the 98th Brigade from Jabalia. He pointed out that the occupation will remain in Jabalia until it finishes all operations in Rafah.

It’s worth noting that Jabalia Camp is located in the northeastern part of the Gaza Strip, adjacent to a city bearing the same name, about one kilometer from the main Gaza-Jaffa road. It is bordered to the north by Beit Lahia village, and to the south and west by Jabalia city and the Nuzha village. It is bordered to the east by citrus orchards and rises about 30 feet above sea level, approximately one kilometer away from Jabalia city. It is one of the closest camps to the Erez Crossing, the only passage for Gaza residents to Israel.