Hamas fighters attack Israeli command center, kill 7 Israeli forces: Statement

Fighters with the Gaza Strip-based resistance movement of Hamas announce attacking an Israeli command center in the northern part of the coastal sliver, and killing as many as seven Israeli forces elsewhere across the Palestinian territory.

Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, as Hamas’ armed wing is known, announced the information in a statement on Friday, Qatar’s Al Jazeera television network reported.

The attack on the command center saw the fighters using a drone to release two anti-personnel rockets against the target in a location lying to the east of the city of Beit Hanoun.

The Brigades also reported killing an Israeli officer elsewhere near the city.

According to a separate statement, the fighters in southern Gaza attacked and killed six Israeli soldiers who were inside a house north of Khan Younis.

The developments took place amid an October 7-present Israeli war against Gaza that was launched following al-Aqsa Storm, a surprise offensive by the coastal sliver’s resistance movements against the occupied territories.

Around 600 Israeli troops have been killed during resistance operations staged to defend Gaza in the face of the war that has so far claimed the lives of more than 30,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Last Friday, Ynetnews, the website for Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot, reported that the regime’s military was facing a critical manpower problem as it was running short of thousands of forces.

“The army is experiencing intensifying personnel shortages,” the report said, adding that it “urgently requires an additional 7,000 soldiers, with half of these intended for combat roles.”

These “unprecedented” figures underscored the “shock” that was being experienced by the Israeli military in the wake of more than five months of war, the website said.

Late last month, the Israeli minister for military affairs highlighted the heavy toll the war was inflicting on the regime’s military.