How the IDF dismantled Gaza's Qatari-funded terror neighborhood

• Published date: 24 March 2024
• Author: AMIR BOHBOT
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

The Israeli forces reached operational success quickly, surrounding the neighborhood within 15 minutes. Israeli forces led by the IDF's 98th Brigade also captured two prominent senior Hamas figures during the operation

The story behind IDF's success in Hamad

Following Operation Protective Edge in 2014, during which the IDF began destroying Hamas terror tunnels and terror infrastructure, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani decided to donate hundreds of millions of dollars for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

A considerable amount of the Emir's funds was invested in establishing "Hamad City," a luxurious neighborhood within Khan Yunis. The upscale neighborhood consisted of 124 six-floor buildings with 1060 apartment units, a mosque, two schools, and parks. With the leftover funds, the Emir contributed to the construction of a hospital.

Hamas senior officials and their families moved into this new and opulent neighborhood, which then turned into ruins after the IDF entered as part of the ground operation to dismantle Hamas terror infrastructure in the area.

At the height of IDF operations in Khan Yunis earlier this year, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) revealed a concentration of senior operatives hidden within Hamad City. These included valuable assets for understanding the area, uncovering Hamas's military infrastructure, and information regarding the hostages.

Shin Bet officials made it clear to the commanders in the Southern Command that there were more than 10,000 Palestinians in the area who thought that the neighborhood was protected from attacks for a number of reasons, which include the fact that it was established with Qatari funding and that the IDF had not operated in it except for several airstrikes at the beginning of the ground invasion.

"It was clear to us that there was a high concentration of armed men there and that there were intelligence assets there that we wanted with us," said a military official involved in planning the operation on the neighborhood.

The architectural plan of the neighborhood was laid out before Brig.-Gen. Dan Goldfus, OC Givati Brigade Col. Liran Batito, OC 7th Brigade Col. Elad Tzuri, and OC Commander Brigade Col. Omer Cohen. Together, they planned the ruse that would serve as the basis of the operation and achieve its objectives.

Shin Bet clarified that, although the remaining terrorists did not operate in battalion or platoon formations, they possessed significant command capabilities and extensive combat resources, including tunnel...