The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is conducting its fifth ground operation in Beit Hanoun, a city on the northeastern edge of the Gaza Strip, across from Sderot in southern Israel.

According to Gaza authorities' pre-war statistics, the city once had a population of over 52,000. In March, when Israel redeployed ground troops to the city, the remaining thousands of civilians were ordered to evacuate west to Gaza City and Khan Younis.

IDF staging area for armored vehicles and bulldozers in Beit Hanoun. Photo: ToI

IDF staging area for armored vehicles and bulldozers in Beit Hanoun. Photo: ToI

IDF commanders assert that this offensive marks the final stage of their campaign against the Hamas Beit Hanoun battalion, as almost the entire city has been leveled to locate tunnels.

"Within a week, we can complete the mission. There will be no tunnels left here," Colonel Netanel Shamaka, commander of the Givati Infantry Brigade, declared on 30/7 during a field visit with reporters.

Over the past two months, the IDF has demolished nearly every structure in Beit Hanoun. They believe Hamas and its allies are not hiding hostages in the area, only a few fighters remain underground.

"We destroy buildings not because we want to destroy everything. Our mission is to eliminate Hamas's infrastructure," Shamaka said. "Perhaps after the operation ends, there will only be 10 buildings left, all civilian homes where we haven't found tunnel entrances."

Most buildings in Beit Hanoun have been demolished after nearly two years of conflict. Photo: ToI

Most buildings in Beit Hanoun have been demolished after nearly two years of conflict. Photo: ToI

Colonel Shamaka said his unit "finds tunnels everywhere they dig" in Beit Hanoun. They uncovered a tunnel running through the city, underneath schools, clinics, homes, and other civilian structures, with dozens of smaller branches.

This tunnel network connects Beit Hanoun to Beit Lahiya in the west and the Jabalia refugee camp in the south, with entrances located directly beneath the homes of Hamas commanders in the town.

When the IDF launched its fifth operation against Beit Hanoun, Israeli units identified the tunnel junctions, sealed off all exits from the city, and isolated the remaining Hamas fighters both above and below ground.

"We detect the tunnels, map them, and then destroy them. Some Hamas fighters have been eliminated while hiding," Shamaka said.

During a tunnel demolition operation, soldiers from the IDF's 7107th Reserve Engineering Brigade unintentionally killed two commanders of the Hamas Beit Hanoun battalion, Mohammed Sahwil and Akram Abu Jarad, along with several other fighters hiding inside.

Mohammed Sahwil was a senior Hamas member wanted since the October 7, 2023 raid, but Israeli intelligence had been unable to locate him for nearly two years.

IDF officers only realized they had eliminated the Beit Hanoun battalion commanders after using drones to inspect the demolition results. The 7107th Reserve Engineering Brigade also recovered intelligence documents and weapons hidden by Hamas within the tunnel.

Location of Beit Hanoun, Gaza Strip. Graphic: CNN

Location of Beit Hanoun, Gaza Strip. Graphic: CNN

The IDF estimates that only 4-5 Hamas fighters remain hidden in Beit Hanoun. Most of the enemy force has been eliminated or escaped.

Before the war in the Gaza Strip began, the Beit Hanoun battalion had around 1,000 members. The IDF has not yet determined the fate of battalion commander Hussein Fayyad.

Although the Israeli Air Force recently struck a location believed to be Fayyad's hideout, they have not been able to confirm his death. The IDF previously declared Fayyad dead in a late 2024 airstrike, but images from Gaza earlier this year showed him alive.

The Givati Brigade commander said the Beit Hanoun battalion has inflicted significant casualties on the IDF in the past year. On July 7, an infantry unit was hit by a roadside bomb while on duty in Beit Hanoun. The IDF rescue team was ambushed by Hamas while attempting to rescue the infantry group. The IDF reported 5 soldiers killed and 14 injured in the clash.

"The only thing that has allowed Hamas to hold onto this city for the past year and 10 months is their tunnel network. After attacking, Hamas fighters quickly retreated into the tunnels to hide. Now that we have identified the main tunnels, they are forced to come out into the open, and we will eliminate them," Shamaka stated.

Thanh Danh (Times of Israel, AA, i24, FDD)