Field Commander Reveals Reasons Behind Escalating Resistance Operations in Northern Gaza

A field commander within the Palestinian resistance factions has explained why military operations against the Israeli army—deployed deep inside northern Gaza—have intensified, despite three months of ongoing ground incursions into the province.

Speaking exclusively to Sunna Files Website, the commander noted that resistance fighters prepared themselves for a protracted battle well before the start of the Israeli ground operation in early October. This planning followed repeated Israeli discussions about implementing the so-called “Generals’ Plan,” aimed at forcibly displacing residents of northern Gaza.

According to the field commander, fighters move in small groups and carefully select their targets to inflict maximum losses on Israeli soldiers, thereby conserving their weapons and ammunition for longer engagements.

Fighting to the Last Breath

The source told Al Jazeera Net:

“The occupation forces believed—after many days of combat and demolishing entire residential blocks on top of their occupants—that they had eradicated the resistance and could move about freely without endangering their lives. Yet they were shocked to find resistance fighters emerging in places they did not expect.”

He added that the resistance turned the massive destruction caused by Israeli forces in northern Gaza to their advantage, making it easier to detect the invaders’ vehicles and troop movements and launch surprise attacks.

“As for the fighters’ combat doctrine, they do not have the concept of surrender to the enemy in their vocabulary. They keep fighting until the very last breath.”

On Home Turf

Insisting that the resistance fighters are “sons of this land,” where the Israeli army is now entrenched, the commander said they know every inch of its terrain and have trained for direct face-to-face confrontation—something the Israeli soldiers find difficult to endure.

He pointed out that the Israeli army assumed it would have an easier time in northern Gaza this round, having repeatedly entered certain areas of the province since the offensive began. However, the Israelis were taken aback when the resistance reorganized its ranks, prioritized its goals, and capitalized on the enemy’s lack of experience in prolonged direct combat.

The commander also highlighted that resistance fighters from various factions joined forces for joint operations, unifying field efforts and making the most of available weaponry. He asserted that Israeli soldiers “can only harm women and children,” resorting to the destruction of homes and service facilities to cover up their battlefield setbacks.

The Greatest Danger

Resistance operations in northern Gaza have surged in recent days. According to Yedioth Ahronoth on Friday, more than 40 Israeli officers and soldiers have been killed—with dozens wounded—since the ground invasion of northern Gaza began on October 5. Ten were killed in just the last two weeks in Beit Hanoun alone.

Meanwhile, the Hebrew-language site Serogim reported that improvised “barrel bombs”—constructed from leftover Israeli ordnance and rockets—pose the greatest danger to Israeli troops operating in the Strip. These remnants can be turned into lethal devices in a short time.

On July 7, Abu Ubaida, spokesperson for the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of Hamas), revealed in a recorded statement that the Brigades had recruited thousands of new fighters during the war, and thousands more stood ready to confront the enemy whenever needed.

Abu Ubaida also emphasized the Brigades’ success in recycling a large quantity of Israeli army munitions—bombs and rockets that were dropped indiscriminately on civilians at unprecedented levels in the history of modern warfare.