Palestinian Resistance Targets Israeli Forces in Southern Khan Younis

By Al Mayadeen English

2 Aug 2025 23:26

Al-Qassam, Al-Quds Brigades, and others launched mortar and rocket attacks on Israeli forces in Khan Younis, inflicting major casualties in fresh confrontations.

Palestinian resistance factions intensified their military operations against Israeli occupation forces in southern Gaza on Saturday, targeting troop gatherings and command sites in Khan Younis.

Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, confirmed that its fighters fired a barrage of mortar shells at Israeli forces stationed near al-Rantisi Mosque in the Maan area south of Khan Younis.

In a separate joint operation, the al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, and the Al-Amoudi Brigade of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades announced a coordinated attack on an Israeli command center. The site, located on Street 5 in Khan Younis, was reportedly hit with a 107mm rocket. An Israeli helicopter was seen landing at the site shortly after the strike, believed to be evacuating wounded soldiers, suggesting confirmed casualties among the occupation forces.

Fighters target command and control center

Earlier today, Saraya al-Quds released footage showing fighters targeting another Israeli command and control center north of Khan Younis with the same type of rocket, indicating a consistent strategy of precision strikes on military infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the Al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, also declared that its fighters shelled a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles with mortar rounds in the vicinity of Khuza’a, north of Khan Younis.

Palestinian resistance groups continue to engage Israeli occupation forces across multiple axes of ground incursion inside Gaza, executing ambushes and precision strikes that have resulted in confirmed Israeli casualties.

Hamas escalates operations

Two days earlier, the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, reported targeting a group of Israeli occupation soldiers and vehicles east of the al-Qarara area, in eastern Khan Younis, with multiple mortar shells.

Prior to that, al-Qassam fighters detonated three barrel bombs inside an Israeli occupation vehicle hub south of the al-Batn al-Samin area, also in Khan Younis, resulting in casualties among the soldiers.

These operations come amid continued confrontations across several axes in the Gaza Strip, as resistance factions persist in launching targeted attacks against invading Israeli occupation forces despite relentless bombardment, ongoing attempts at ground incursions, and the suffocating siege on the Strip.

Staggering Israeli losses

Israeli media revealed that the ongoing war on Gaza has cost the Israeli occupation approximately 300 billion shekels (around $80 billion), with analysts suggesting the real figure may have already surpassed that estimate.

Shaul Amsterdamski, economic affairs commentator for the Israeli Kan broadcaster, reported that internal discussions within the occupation’s Ministry of Finance are now focused on the spiraling cost of the war, particularly the military operations component.

Amsterdamski noted that the more the war expands, especially through the occupation of additional territory, the more the costs rise dramatically. The most significant burden, he explained, stems from the prolonged deployment of reserve soldiers, as well as expenses related to ammunition, fuel, and operational logistics.

He added that massive weapons procurement deals, totaling tens of billions, have been made to bolster the Israeli military’s capabilities, warning that these expenditures will have a decade-long financial impact on Tel Aviv's budget.

The economic analyst also cautioned against the occupation’s shifting discourse, where the very concept of "occupation" has been largely ignored. He emphasized that controlling Gaza would entail full administrative responsibility over civilian life, including education, food, sewage, and basic services, in addition to maintaining a large, costly ground force presence.