WATCH: IDF soldiers take over strategic Hamas stronghold in Gaza in fierce fighting
Outpost consisted of 37 buildings in the heart of a civilian neighborhood
Soldiers of the 401st Armored Brigade, together with the elite Shaldag and Yahalom commandos, took over a strategic command center of the Hamas terror organization in Gaza City last week, the IDF announced on Tuesday.
The army released footage of the targeted operation aimed at the “Eastern Outpost,” a strategic command and intelligence post used to manage the fighting in the Gaza Strip.
The outpost consisted 37-building compound in the heart of a civilian neighborhood, located in the vicinity of residential buildings, schools and hospitals.
Many weapons and numerous electronic devices were discovered during the raid.
Soldiers of the 401st battlegroup, the Shaked Battalion, also found an underground control bunker from where Hamas commanders conducted the fighting in the Gaza Strip.
This complex lies 20 meters (65 feet) underground and includes operations rooms and areas designed to enable the commanders to spend long periods to safely direct the fighting below ground.
The complex has five central access shafts connected via tunnels, creating a network deep under the compound.
Shaldag forces, the Air Force’s elite commando unit, entered one of the tunnels and engaged Hamas terrorists, all of whom were eliminated.
Once the underground complex was cleared of terrorists and thoroughly searched, soldiers of the elite combat engineering unit Yahalom and the 601st Engineering Battalion destroyed the tunnel network.
Above ground, one of the armored battalions identified a building used for terror activities in the compound and stormed it. A heavy exchange of fire developed during the raid as terrorists opened fire from the upper floors. Israeli troops returned fire while evacuating the wounded soldiers.
The fight expanded to other buildings in the area of the outpost, where soldiers of the Shaked Battalion and Shaldag joined in the fighting until the area was cleared of terrorists.
Three soldiers from the Shaked battalion lost their lives during the battles, including Lieutenant Yaron Eliezer Chitiz (23), Staff Sergeant Itay Buton (20) and Staff Sergeant Efraim Yachman (21).
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
