The proximity of Shejaiya’s easternmost houses to the Gaza border fence is startling; offering insight into how Hamas terrorists easily breached Israeli territory on Oct. 7. The area, once home to one of the terror group’s most formidable offensive units, now lies in ruins.
Our entry into eastern Shejaiya in unarmored Humvees speaks volumes about the IDF’s current control and Hamas’s diminished capabilities in the area. The need for heavily armored vehicles to transport civilians has been eliminated.
The surrounding landscape is utterly devastated. Few buildings remain standing, most reduced to skeletal remnants or piles of rubble. As in other areas where the IDF has operated, roads have been replaced by compacted dirt tracks for armored vehicles.
Historically one of Gaza City’s older neighborhoods, Shejaiya’s name, meaning “The brave ones,” refers to 13th-century casualties of Ayyubid-Crusader conflicts. This martial legacy seems to have endured, with the neighborhood serving as a Hamas terror stronghold and vital center for recruitment, tunneling and combat operations for decades.
The neighborhood’s low-rise outskirts quickly give way to taller structures, most severely damaged or destroyed. Amidst the ruins, we meet Lt. Col. Yonatan Schneider, commander of the Paratroopers Brigade’s 202nd Battalion.
Schneider’s familiarity with the area and his unit is evident. As he briefs journalists on local topography and Hamas regrouping attempts, a real-time demonstration unfolds. Suspicious targets are identified, requiring Schneider’s approval to neutralize the threat. He approves the strike with a shy smile, and explosions soon follow.
We venture deeper into Battalion 202’s area of operations, battling scorching heat and choking dust that render the urban wasteland nearly uninhabitable. Climbing a gutted apartment building, we navigate crumbling staircases to witness an unexpected sight.
Within the ruins lies a relatively intact room serving as the weapons platoon’s forward position. Drones and viewing screens are neatly arranged on various surfaces, with a fan providing some relief from the heat. From this makeshift command center, the platoon wages a distinctly 21st-century war.
Platoon commander Paz Buskila explains their evolution, “We started with a single drone for reconnaissance. Now, we can not only pinpoint targets accurately but also deploy drone-dropped munitions.”
“We’ve learned a lot from Ukrainian combat footage,” adds Matan Green, a soldier whose robotics background has proven invaluable to the unit.
Schneider beams with pride, stating, “Many of the terrorists we’ve eliminated in Shejaiya were thanks to these guys right here.”
Outside, Schneider shows us positions and passages used by Hamas terrorists attempting to reestablish a presence. “They conceal openings in destroyed buildings, allowing them to operate undetected,” he explains. “They arrive unarmed, access pre-positioned weapons caches, then wait to ambush targets of opportunity.”
As we dash across an exposed area, Schneider adds, “We’re fighting here, maintaining contact with the enemy, and enabling our forces behind us to work—and there’s plenty to be done.”
Minutes later, we arrive at a site where Yahalom combat engineers have uncovered a Hamas tunnel. “This tunnel was used to kidnap Oron Shaul in 2014,” a Yahalom officer explains from the entrance, its path visible and pointing toward the Israeli border.
Over two weeks in Shejaiya, forces located six offensive tunnels containing weapons, command rooms, and intelligence materials. Destroying this infrastructure is crucial to denying Hamas the ability to rebuild its terror network in the neighborhood.
During our trek to the extraction point, I’m accompanied by Yosef Cohen, a bespectacled fighter whose ultra-Orthodox background is obscured by battle dress and layers of dust.
Other ultra-Orthodox soldiers serve alongside him, and Cohen mentions finding time for prayer and study even within the brutal realities of urban combat. “Nothing is more important than our mission here,” he shares. “Without military pressure, freeing the hostages is unimaginable.”
Cohen and his comrades participated in an operation that rescued four hostages, a subject that clearly weighs on him. “I’ll keep fighting as long as it takes, until everyone comes home,” he declares, moments before the Humvee whisks me back to Israel, leaving him to continue the fight on behalf of us all.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.