Death Traps: How Gaza’s Sands Swallowed Israeli Soldiers and Vehicles

For over a year, TV screens and social media platforms have been flooded with footage broadcasted by resistance factions in Gaza, particularly Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades.

The term “military media” became a sought-after phrase throughout the war as everyone followed the battle through the lens of the Palestinian resistance. This narrative triumphed over the media machine that constantly propagated the Israeli narrative.

From Beit Hanoun in the north to Rafah in the south, Al-Qassam and other factions like the Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades documented their fierce confrontations with the occupation forces. Their media reports consistently unveiled the depth of their military preparedness and understanding of the battlefield. These reports demonstrated that the decision to enter into an open war with the occupation was calculated and deliberate.

Death Traps

One of the most notable tactics used by the resistance against the occupation forces was the deployment of ambushes, whether individual or complex. These operations involved a variety of weapons, including missiles, explosives, and close-range combat, as well as the strategic detonation of tunnels beneath the occupying soldiers.

Here are some of the most infamous ambushes:

Beit Lahiya Ambush

Late last year, the Al-Qassam Brigades released footage of their fighters engaging with Israeli special forces in Beit Lahiya, north of the Gaza Strip. The footage shows an ambush where Al-Qassam fighters targeted an Israeli force emerging from a house. They struck the soldiers with a 105mm anti-personnel shell and then engaged them in close-quarters combat, leaving many dead or wounded.

Al-Zaytoun Ambush

At the beginning of this year, Al-Qassam killed several Israeli soldiers in Al-Zaytoun neighborhood. Footage revealed that a group of Israeli soldiers were moving through the area when Al-Qassam fighters ambushed them, detonating an explosive and forcing the survivors to take cover in a nearby building. As the soldiers attempted to retreat, resistance fighters launched another assault, firing at them and hitting reinforcements sent to their aid, resulting in multiple casualties.

This ambush was particularly notable, as it occurred after the Israeli military claimed to have dismantled Al-Qassam’s capabilities in northern Gaza—a claim that was later questioned by Israeli sources, accusing the military spokesman of providing misleading information.

Al-Maghazi Ambush

On January 23rd, the occupation was shocked by the death of 21 soldiers in a well-executed ambush by the resistance in Al-Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza. According to Al-Qassam, their fighters had been stationed in the area for weeks despite intense bombardment. They were instructed to wait for a high-value target before striking. Once Israeli engineering forces arrived, the fighters struck with a 105mm anti-personnel shell, decimating the unit.

Al-Zanna Ambush

Footage of this ambush went viral on social media. It shows Al-Qassam fighters sketching out the plan on paper, assigning roles, and selecting areas for planting explosives to trap Israeli soldiers. Surveillance cameras hidden among the rubble recorded the arrival of Israeli forces at the ambush site. In mere moments, three soldiers were killed after machine-gun fire rained down on them, with the cries of the wounded echoing in the background.

The fighters also detonated a booby-trapped house when another Israeli unit sought refuge inside, killing more soldiers and targeting two tanks, which were destroyed using 105mm Yassin shells.

Saraya Ambush

The Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, also broadcast footage of a double ambush in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. They targeted an Israeli force taking cover in a house, before ambushing the reinforcements that came to rescue them.

Jabaliya “Capture” Ambush

In May, Al-Qassam surprised the occupation by successfully capturing Israeli soldiers in an ambush at Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza. Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for Al-Qassam, confirmed that fighters had carried out a complex operation, luring an Israeli force into one of the tunnels in Jabaliya. A video released by Al-Qassam showed an Israeli soldier being dragged into the tunnel as part of this daring operation.

Shaboura Ambush

The sight of Israeli soldiers fleeing from the resistance has become a common scene in Gaza. However, the Shaboura ambush in Rafah left Israelis more shocked than anyone else. This ambush was significant, especially since the occupation had repeatedly claimed to have dismantled Hamas’ military capabilities in the area.

Using Israeli Ammunition

In June, Al-Qassam broadcasted footage of an ambush in Rafah’s Tel Al-Sultan area, where they used ammunition captured from Israeli forces. The fighters were seen digging a tunnel from scratch to reach the ambush site, where they used the stolen ordnance to destroy an Israeli tank after several days of surveillance.

Al-Shuja’iyya Ambush

In July, the Al-Quds Brigades released footage of a joint ambush with Al-Qassam in Al-Shuja’iyya neighborhood. Israeli forces were trapped in the area during the recent battles before withdrawing from the conflict zone.

Al-Farahin Ambush

In August, Al-Qassam detonated an explosive device in a foot patrol of Israeli soldiers east of Khan Younis, killing and injuring several of them. Surveillance cameras recorded the entire event. Al-Qassam reported that the explosive, named “Sijil,” was manufactured during the current aggression, utilizing unexploded Israeli rockets. It contained 750 metallic fragments.

The fighters dedicated the ambush to the late Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh.

Al-Qarara Ambush

One of the most famous ambushes in southern Gaza took place in Al-Qarara, where Al-Qassam targeted Israeli soldiers who were barricaded in a building. One of the fighters narrated in the footage that 23 Israeli soldiers had entered the building, alongside special forces.

Al-Zanna and Hayy Al-Amal Ambushes

In April, Al-Qassam announced that 14 Israeli soldiers were killed in a complex operation in Khan Younis. This operation, carried out in three stages, targeted Israeli forces in Al-Zanna area. Simultaneously, Al-Qassam reported killing five soldiers at close range in Hayy Al-Amal, destroying an armored personnel carrier with a Tandem missile. They also struck a Merkava tank with a 105mm Yassin shell and detonated an explosive, killing Israeli soldiers in Khan Younis.

Al-Bara’ Ambush

One of the most famous ambushes in Beit Lahiya, Al-Bara’ ambush, saw Al-Qassam waiting eight months for Israeli forces to approach. The footage shows the fighters preparing the site in December 2023, planting explosives and mines. The fighters lay in wait, and when Israeli forces arrived, they launched a barrage of rocket-propelled grenades and explosives, followed by an assault on the reinforcements sent to rescue the ambushed soldiers.