The Second Battle of Shuja'iyya was a military battle between Israel and the Hamas-led Palestinian forces during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which ended in an Israeli withdrawal.[10] Fought from 27 June 2024[11] to 10 July 2024,[10] it was the second engagement between the two sides in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood of Gaza City.
| Battle of Shuja'iyya (2024) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the siege of Gaza City during the Israel–Hamas war | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Israel |
 Hamas Palestinian Islamic Jihad | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Roy Miller †[3] |
Ayman Showadeh † | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
|
| |||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
Per Israel: 5 soldiers killed[6][7] Per Hamas: 4+ soldiers killed[8] Several APCs destroyed[9] |
Per Israel: 150 fighters killed[1] | ||||||
|
At least 3 medics killed and 12 wounded[6] 80,000 displaced[9] | |||||||
Background
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had begun an ongoing general siege of Gaza City on 2 November 2023 as part of the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, itself a response to the October 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel which began the war. The first battle at Shuja'iyya began on 4 December 2023 and ended on 26 December 2023 with the IDF withdrawing after facing fierce Palestinian resistance[12] and failing to push out Hamas from the area.[13]
Israel claimed that it had dismantled Hamas in the region in December, but militants continued to attack Israeli forces and maintained a strong presence in the area.[1] This resulted in Israel attacking Shuja'iyya once again in late June.[14]
Battle
The IDF began a second invasion of Shuja'iyya on 27 June 2024 with a combined tank and drone assault, ordering Palestinian civilians to go south.[11] These operations were led by the 98th Division[14] with medics and witnesses saying the assault had caused numerous casualties.[6] Israeli bombing of the neighbourhood resulted in widespread destruction, causing tens of thousands of Palestinians to flee the attack, while the UN estimated that up to 80,000 Palestinians were displaced from the area.[15]
Hamas and its ally Palestinian Islamic Jihad responded to the invasion with guerilla attacks, artillery fire, and sniper attacks on IDF positions.[11][13][16] On 4 July, in operations conducted by Palestinian militants in the city, an Israeli officer was killed while three others were seriously injured.
On 12 July, it was reported that the IDF had managed to kill the deputy head of the Hamas battalion in Shuja'iyya, Ayman Showadeh, who was involved in leading the October 2023 attack on Israel.[17][18]
The Israeli army stated that it had destroyed 8 tunnels during the battle,[1] and on 10 July, Israel retreated from the neighbourhood, while Palestinian militants retained their positions.[2]
Aftermath
Families among the tens of thousands displaced by Israeli actions in Shuja'iyya began to return following the end of the battle but reported widespread destruction and that nearly every building in the neighbourhood had been destroyed.[9] Gazan officials working for the native government in Gaza returned to the neighbourhood immediately following the Israeli withdrawal and found more than 60 bodies.[9][19] It was reported that the neighborhood had "become a disaster area that is not suitable for habitat", with 85% of the residential buildings there destroyed by the IDF.[10]
One family reported that the IDF had raided their Shuja'iyya home on July 3 and attacked their family member, Muhammed Bhar, with a combat dog. According to the family, the IDF promised to treat Bhar, who had Down Syndrome, and ordered the rest of the family to leave at gunpoint. After the IDF withdrawal, the family said that they returned to find Bhar dead on the floor.[20][21]
References
- ^ a b c d Fabian, Emanuel (July 10, 2024). "IDF wraps up raid in Gaza City's Shejaiya neighborhood, says it killed more than 150 gunmen". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
- ^ a b ""نتزين ونتعطر قبل لقاء العدو".. مشاهد جديدة للقسام بمعارك الشجاعية". Al Jazeera (in Arabic). Archived from the original on July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
- ^ "IDF announces death of Captain Roy Miller, killed fighting in northern Gaza". i24News. July 4, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
- ^ Brian Carter (December 8, 2023). "The Order of Battle of Hamas' Izz al Din al Qassem Brigades, Part 1: North and Central Gaza". Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on May 15, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ War, Institute for the Study of. "The Order of Battle of Hamas' Izz al Din al Qassem Brigades (Updated)". Archived from the original on May 27, 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ a b c The New Arab Staff & Agencies (June 28, 2024). "Gaza City's Shejaiya neighbourhood comes under Israeli siege, Lebanon clashes intensify". The New Arab. Archived from the original on July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
- ^ "IDF announces death of Staff Sgt. Eyal Mimran, 20, killed in Gaza City fighting earlier today | The Times of Israel". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on July 4, 2024. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ "Battles rage in north Gaza as Palestinian fighters ambush Israeli troops". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on July 4, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "'We have nothing': Gazans return to Shejaiya after IDF wraps up two-week raid". The Times of Israel. July 12, 2024. Archived from the original on July 13, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Over 60 bodies retrieved from under rubble in Shujaiya in Gaza City after Israel raid". Middle East Monitor. July 11, 2024. Archived from the original on July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ a b c Timsit, Annabelle; Fahim, Kareem (June 27, 2024). "Gazans flee homes ahead of new Israeli operation in northern neighborhood". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
- ^ ""مربعات سكنية مدمرة بالكامل".. صور ترصد حجم الخراب في حي الشجاعية بعد انسحاب القوات الإسرائيلية (فيديو)". Al Jazeera (in Arabic). Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ a b Malsin, Jared; Peled, Anat; AbdulKarim, Fatima (July 1, 2024). "Gaza Militants Regroup and Rearm, Raising Threat of a Long War". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ a b Frantzman, Seth (July 9, 2024). "IDF uncovers 6 tunnels in Gaza's Shejaiya neighborhood; Hezbollah rockets kill 2 Israelis in the north". Long War Journal. Archived from the original on July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
- ^ "Fighting for third day in Gaza's north leaves thousands displaced". Dawn. June 30, 2024. Archived from the original on July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
- ^ MENAFN. "Hamas' Armed Wing Claims Killings Of Israeli Soldiers In Gaza". menafn.com. Archived from the original on July 10, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ Baruch, Uzi (July 12, 2024). "IDF and Shin Bet eliminate deputy head of Shejaiya Batallion in Gaza". www.israelnationalnews.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ "IAF strike kills Ayman Showadeh, Hamas's Shejaia Battalion deputy commander". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. July 12, 2024. Archived from the original on July 13, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ "Gaza war: 60 bodies recovered in Shujayea after Israeli ground assault". YouTube. Al Jazeera English. July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
- ^ Keane, Fergal (July 16, 2024). "Gaza man with Down's syndrome attacked by IDF dog and left to die, mother says". BBC. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
- ^ Hussaini, Maha (July 12, 2024). "Palestinian with Down syndrome 'left to die' by Israeli soldiers after combat dog attack". Middle East Eye. Retrieved July 16, 2024.