"The Beit Hanoun Battalion, which threatened the cities of Nir Am and Sderot, has surrendered and been defeated by the Givati Brigade," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on 2/8/2025.
The IDF said the last three Hamas fighters in Beit Hanoun emerged from their hideout and surrendered Tuesday morning after their remaining comrades were killed in an earlier clash with Israeli forces.
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Three Hamas fighters remove their clothes, exit a tunnel and surrender to the Israeli military on 2/8/2025. Photo: IDF |
Three Hamas fighters remove their clothes, exit a tunnel and surrender to the Israeli military on 2/8/2025. Photo: IDF
The IDF seized a large cache of Hamas weapons and equipment in an underground warehouse pointed out by the surrendering fighters. The Israeli military also discovered food, water and other essential supplies in the warehouse, suggesting it may have been intended for long-term shelter.
Combat engineers are mapping the tunnel network before planting explosives to destroy it.
"Hamas fighters are surrendering in Beit Hanoun. They are coming out of their hiding places in the middle of a devastated city. The IDF is destroying everything above and below ground in this place to protect Sderot," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant wrote on X, referring to the Israeli city of Sderot near the Gaza Strip.
The IDF has launched five operations in Beit Hanoun in the past two years, determined to eliminate the Hamas battalion of about 1,000 fighters. Most of the Beit Hanoun battalion members have been killed or have fled.
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Location of Beit Hanoun, Gaza Strip. Graphic: CNN |
Location of Beit Hanoun, Gaza Strip. Graphic: CNN
According to pre-war statistics from the Gaza authorities, the city once had a population of more than 52,000. In March, when Israel returned ground troops to the city, thousands of remaining civilians were ordered to evacuate west to Gaza City and Khan Younis.
Over the past two months, the IDF has razed nearly every structure in Beit Hanoun. Colonel Netanel Shamaka, commander of the Givati Brigade, said his unit needed to destroy buildings in Beit Hanoun to eliminate the extensive tunnel system, leaving only about 10 houses standing.
Thanh Danh (Times of Israel, TASS)
