On video: Paratroopers in a week of battles in the heart of the Zeyton and Sha'ya neighborhoods/IDF spokesman
After killing more than a hundred terrorists, Division 162 clears the Zeytun neighborhood in Gaza City of terrorism.
Many terrorists have already abandoned their apartments, the tunnels and terrorist infrastructures and fled towards the south.
"The population we met at the beginning of the raid on Gaza City is moving south," says Lt. Col. Daniel Ella, commander of the 52nd Battalion, in an interview from the heart of the Zeyton neighborhood. "In the beginning, we fought small squads of terrorists.
Since then, the fighting has subsided, today there was only one encounter."
Battalion 52 was the first battalion to cross the fence on October 27, when the ground maneuver began under the command of Division 162. During the fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, they operated extensively in Rantisi Hospital and located there the first shaft that exposed A complete underground network under the hospital."
"Since the beginning of the maneuver, the battles have faded, today there was only one encounter."
Battalion 52/IDF spokesperson
"It's challenging. But our fighters are at the peak of their strength and spirit."
Battalion 52/IDF spokesperson
Although they have been fighting in Gaza from the very first moment, Lt. Col. Ella says that the spirit of his fighters has not waned in the slightest. "We have been in intense fighting for almost five months now, it is challenging.
But our fighters are at the peak of their strength and spirit, even in the difficult moments, when any of them are hurt.
They deserve all the respect in the world," he insists. "They understand the meaning of fighting and what they do.
In the end we will finish the spirit of the enemy.
I hope they will allow us to complete the mission, even if it requires us to go to the north and destroy Hezbollah.
We are ready for it.
As
long as the last of the terrorists are leaving the Zeyton neighborhood, the 52nd Battalion is left to deal mainly with the many terrorist infrastructures that remain. "We are in the purification phase, focused on destroying the tunnel infrastructure in the neighborhood," Lt. Col. Ella explained.
"The terrorists are also retreating in the underground space, we are in almost complete control where we are. So far we have detonated mountains of explosives at terrorist targets, and in hiding apartments with weapons. In addition, we have found computers that can greatly help the intelligence effort."
"We are ready to destroy Hezbollah. As long as they let us."
Lt. Col. Daniel Ella, Majd 52/IDF Spokesman
"One of the heroines of this mission is my wife."
Lt. Col. Daniel Ella, Majd 52/IDF Spokesman
At the end of long months of fighting and countless achievements, the battalion commander is satisfied with the long journey he has taken with his soldiers, and is also thinking about home.
"We have achieved the mission for which we came here," he states proudly.
"We are now in the last gospel, we will do whatever is required of us. One of the heroes of this mission is my wife. She is also an officer in the IDF, she is currently alone with a small child when she is seven months pregnant.
She stands behind me, despite the difficulties, no matter what."
More on the same topic:
Gaza Strip
Gaza war
War of Iron Swords