Israeli Special Forces Raid in West Gaza Fails Amid Fierce Resistance
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Palestinian sources have revealed new details regarding a security operation by the Israeli regime in the Al-Kutiba area, west of Gaza City. The operation involved an armed special forces unit infiltrating the area with the objective of assassinating a senior security official within the resistance. However, the mission failed to achieve its primary goal after the attacking forces were identified, triggering a fierce confrontation.
Concurrently, a security source in Gaza refuted reports of the detention of the director of Gaza’s internal security agency, stating instead that an Israeli special forces unit had abducted one of the agency’s officers in a separate operation following an attack on his residence. According to the source, the officer’s wife was killed during the attack, and resistance fighters engaged the occupying special forces during the operation.
The Gaza government’s information office announced that the Israeli special forces attempted to execute a security mission in Gaza City, but the infiltrating forces were detected and met with resistance from Palestinian fighters. Following the outbreak of hostilities, Israel extensively utilized its air force to cover the retreat of its forces, with over 10 fighter jets and military aircraft launching intense strikes in the area.
A security source speaking to the Palestinian news agency Al-Sond detailed that the Israeli special forces entered the area using a Mercedes minibus and a Hyundai Accent, establishing a presence in a villa north of the American hospital entrance, near the Al-Kutiba district. The source added that resistance security forces identified and engaged the group, leading to the Israeli air force intervening to support the attacking forces by dropping 15 bombs on vehicles surrounding the villa.
Resistance fighters targeted a white vehicle belonging to the attacking group, and the special forces ultimately withdrew from the area using an armored vehicle under heavy aerial cover. Palestinian and Hebrew media reports indicated that the special forces intended to abduct or assassinate a senior Palestinian official, but faced intense gunfire, prompting a large-scale Israeli air force intervention to facilitate their withdrawal.
A Palestinian security source had previously told Al Jazeera that the primary target of the operation was a colonel in the internal security apparatus, who survived an assassination attempt after the infiltrating group was identified and engaged. The Gaza government information office also stated that several members of the attacking special forces were killed and injured during the direct confrontation.
The widespread Israeli airstrikes conducted to cover this operation also struck civilians. Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, Director of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, reported that strikes in the Al-Kutiba area resulted in the death of three Palestinians, including two children and a woman, with eight others sustaining injuries.
This incident occurred as the Israeli regime’s army continued its violations of the ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip for the 327th consecutive day, with daily attacks leading to Palestinian casualties and increased destruction in the Gaza Strip. Just yesterday, Israeli forces committed 21 new ceasefire violations across various areas of Gaza, resulting in the deaths of five Palestinians and injuries to several others.
These ongoing violations persist despite U.S. President Donald Trump announcing on July 31, 2026, the achievement of a new agreement to commence the second phase of the Gaza roadmap. Nevertheless, Israeli forces continue their daily breaches of the ceasefire.
Hamas Reaction
The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas condemned the morning operation by Israeli army special forces in the Al-Kutiba area of west Gaza City, denouncing it as a dangerous crime and a deliberate disregard for civilian lives. Hamas stated that the operation took place in a densely populated area frequented by displaced persons and was accompanied by extensive gunfire and airstrikes to cover the infiltration and withdrawal of the special forces, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of several Palestinians.
The movement emphasized that this action represents a continuation of the brutal genocidal war against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, a war that has not effectively ceased despite the signing of a ceasefire agreement in Sharm El Sheikh with the mediation of the United States and other international parties. Hamas asserted that the escalation of ceasefire violations by the occupation regime’s cabinet, the continued organized targeting of civilians, the intensification of the siege, and the deepening humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip demonstrate the defiant and insolent policy of war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu towards mediating countries and their roles, as well as his disregard for international laws and humanitarian international law.
The movement called upon the U.S. government and mediating countries to adopt a clear stance condemning the occupation regime’s crimes against civilians and to take action for the immediate cessation of Tel Aviv’s continuous violations in the Gaza Strip, compelling it to adhere to the commitments of the ceasefire agreement. Hamas also urged the international community and international institutions, particularly the United Nations Security Council, to take immediate measures to halt the occupation regime’s crimes against civilians in Gaza and to facilitate the accountability and prosecution of those responsible for these crimes in international judicial bodies.
