Battle At Tel Al-Hawa

The Battle of Tel al-Hawa is an ongoing battle in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas-led Palestinian forces in the neighborhood of Tel al-Hawa in Gaza City.

Background

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had begun an ongoing general siege of Gaza City on 2 November 2023 as part of the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, itself a response to the October 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel which began the war.

Battle

The IDF first advanced into Tel al-Hawa on 3 November 2023, and began besieging the al-Quds Hospital in the neighborhood on 10 November. Clashes between the IDF and Hamas were reported around the hospital, with Israel alleging that Hamas had placed command centres inside and around the building. Fighting in Tel al-Hawa between the IDF and Palestinian forces continued throughout December 2023 and January 2024.

In late January, the IDF killed Hind Rajab, a six-year old Palestinian girl, in Tel al-Hawa, along with six other family members and two paramedics from the Palestine Red Crescent Society who were coming to rescue her. The girl and her family had been fleeing from the neighborhood amidst heavy fighting.

Contradictory reports about fighting in Tel al-Hawa surfaced in the following months. Supposedly, the IDF had finished clearing Tel al-Hawa of Hamas in February. However, it was also reported that fighting continued inside the neighborhood, with Hamas launching almost daily attacks on the IDF there since 24 March.

In any case, there was a large-scale IDF invasion into Tel al-Hawa on 8 July, beginning with a large wave of airstrikes followed by a ground offensive. During this time, the IDF was also still operating in Shuja'iyya, another Gaza City neighborhood. Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement fought IDF troops in the neighorbood, detonating explosive devices and firing shells and rockets. During one engagement, the IDF fought Palestinian militants who had fortified themselves inside an abandoned UNRWA compound.

On 12 July, the IDF withdrew from most of Tel al-Hawa. It was reported that dozens of Palestinians had been killed, and there was significant infrastructural damage. However, it was reported that IDF snipers and tanks remained in "control fsome high ground", warning residents against trying to return.

In a brief operation on 20 July, the IDF raided buildings in Tel al-Hawa where Hamas fighters were located.

On 26 July, fighting between the IDF and Hamas resumed in Tel al-Hawa. The same day, Hamas attacked IDF tanks inside the neighborhood with explosives.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tel al-Hawa
Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
Battles in 2024
Battles during the Israel–Hamas war