Israeli Army Operations Resume in Shuja'iyya, Gaza Following Hamas 'Reinforcement'

Simultaneously with a 'special' meeting of the Israeli Prime Minister with military commanders regarding the start of the 'third phase' of military operations in the Gaza Strip, heavy fighting and bombardments by the Israeli army in the Shuja'iyya area of Gaza City continued for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday. The Israeli army has stated that operations in Shuja'iyya may last several weeks. On the other hand, the director of Shifa Hospital in Gaza, who had been detained by Israel for eight months, was released and returned to Gaza on Tuesday. According to AFP, the Israeli army's operations in Shuja'iyya began months after Israel announced it had destabilized the command structure of the extremist group Hamas in this northern part of Gaza City. The United Nations has estimated that between 60,000 to 80,000 people, who had returned to their homes and devastated neighborhoods after a period of displacement, have been forced to leave the area again since the new round of operations began in Shuja'iyya. The Israeli army confirmed that the new round of operations in Shuja'iyya began on July 7, as Hamas was 'reinforcing' itself and had recruited fresh armed forces to engage in the war. According to the army, Hamas had recently turned a UN-run school and a medical center in Shuja'iyya into a 'terror operations room.' The army's statement indicated that during this four-day operation, more than 140 Palestinian militants were killed in ground fire and air bombardments, and several other 'terrorist tunnels' were identified and destroyed. Forty of the casualties were related to operations on Sunday. During the operations in Shuja'iyya, the Israeli army suffered the deaths of two soldiers and injuries to three others. Hamas does not announce the deaths of its members at the start of the war. According to the Times of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu assessed the situation on Sunday, July 10, in a meeting with the Chief of Staff and military commanders before the start of the 'third phase' of the Gaza war. The Israeli Prime Minister stated last week that the new phase signifies a reduction in military operations in Gaza. The new phase of the war does not mean the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza. The army has planned targeted operations in various parts of Gaza during this phase. Mr. Netanyahu stated in a cabinet meeting on Sunday that Israel 'will not end the war until it achieves all its objectives.' He also acknowledged that the country's military forces are engaged in a 'difficult battle.' The surprise attack by thousands of Hamas members on Israeli territory in mid-October last year, which killed about 1,200 Israeli civilians and took 253 hostage in just a few hours in the absence of Israeli security forces, triggered the Israeli army's war in Gaza. Eighteen Israeli soldiers were injured in a Hezbollah drone attack. The war over the past 269 days has resulted in the deaths of approximately 39,000 Palestinians. The hidden leaders of Hamas in Gaza, who had planned the attack on Israel, have been calling for an end to the war for months. Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. The release of the Shifa Hospital director from Israeli detention. The Israeli army and internal security agency confirmed on Tuesday that they had released Mohammad Abusalmieh, the director of Shifa Hospital in Gaza, after eight months and returned him to Gaza. Dr. Abusalmieh, along with 54 other detainees from Gaza, returned to Gaza early Tuesday morning and was welcomed by his colleagues at Shifa Hospital. Israel detained Mohammad Abusalmieh a month after the war began on suspicion of collaborating with the extremist group Hamas and 'turning the hospital into a center for terrorist activities' and storing weapons on the hospital grounds. A video of Mohammad Abusalmieh during his interrogation by Israel was released, which 'confirmed' the presence and activities of Hamas forces in the hospital. Israel suspected that some of the country's kidnapped citizens were hidden by Hamas in Shifa Hospital. Israel had stated that Tzofia Mertsyano, a 19-year-old Israeli hostage who was killed in Gaza, died when Hamas hid her in Shifa Hospital and she was shot by her captors. The release of Mohammad Abusalmieh, which Israeli media reported was done with the agreement of the country's defense minister, has faced criticism among other Israeli officials. The Islamic Jihad group claimed responsibility for launching rockets from Gaza towards southern Israel early Tuesday. Israeli media reported that at least 20 rockets, described as 'the largest wave of rocket attacks' in recent months, were fired from Gaza towards southern Israel. These attacks did not cause casualties, but the Israeli army responded by targeting locations in Khan Younis, which it assessed as the source of the rocket fire. The Israeli army and internal security agency killed Saeed Izzat Jabir, a commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, in an explosive drone attack in the city of Nourshams in the West Bank on Sunday. This armed group, affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran, confirmed the death of this commander.