2025 Shuja'iyya offensive

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2025 Shuja'iyya offensive
Part of the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip during the Gaza war
Date4 April – 20 August 2025
(4 months and 3 weeks)
Location
Result

Inconclusive

Belligerents
Flag of Israel.svg Israel
Fatah Flag Vector Graphic.svg Khalas clan
Commanders and leaders
Flag of Israel.svg Avi Rosenfeld
Flag of Israel.svg Meir Biderman
Flag of Israel.svg Nir Ifergan
Fatah Flag Vector Graphic.svg Rami Khalas
Fatah Flag Vector Graphic.svg Ahmad Khalas [1]
Flag of al-Qassam Brigades.svg Muhammad al-‘Ajlah  X [2]
Flag of al-Qassam Brigades.svg Muhammad Uthayn  X
Flag of al-Qassam Brigades.svg Haytham Sheikh Khalil  X [3]
InfoboxPIJ.svg Fadl Abu al-Ata  X [4]
Units involved
Casualties and losses
Flag of the Israel Defense Forces.svg 5 soldiers killed [a]
Flag of Israel Police V2.svg 1 policeman killed [7]
Flag of Palestine.svg Several militants killed [13]
~81 Palestinian civilians killed [14] [15] [16] [17]

On 4 April 2025, Israel began a ground offensive into the Shuja'iyya neighborhood of Gaza City, as part of its renewed military operations in the Gaza Strip following the resumption of the Gaza war on 18 March. It marks the third time Israel invades the neighborhood during the war, following battles in 2023 and 2024.

Contents

Background

A ceasefire that halted fighting in the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas was implemented on 19 January 2025, but collapsed on 18 March after an Israeli surprise attack on the Gaza Strip. Following the war's resumption, Israel partially retook the Netzarim Corridor and renewed its Rafah offensive.

On 3 April, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin announced that it has begun a “new stage” designed to return the Israeli hostages held by Hamas and destroy the militant group's "military and governing capabilities.” [13]

That same day, an Israeli bombardment of Shuja'iyya killed at least 37 people. [18]

Timeline

4 April

The IDF launched the ground operation in the morning with the intent of expanding the Israeli buffer zone along the Gaza border, saying that Palestinian civilians had been allowed to evacuate Shuja'iyya. The IDF also reported it destroyed a Hamas command-and-control centre during its assault. [19] [18] [13]

A woman and her daughter were killed in an Israeli artillery attack targeting displaced people in the neighborhood. [20]

5 April

Israeli forces halted the flow of water from Israeli company Mekorot to the Gaza Strip, effectively cutting off 70% of Gaza's total water supply and affecting Gaza's main pipeline, located in Shuja'iyya. [20]

One Palestinian was killed following artillery shelling in the al-Salem Mosque. [20]

6 April

Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) stated that its Al-Quds Brigades fighters destroyed an Israeli military vehicle in the neighborhood. [21] [22]

9 April

Israel struck a residential building in Shuja'iyya with multiple bombs. Additionally, eight houses around the building were destroyed by the bombardment, killing at least 35 Palestinians, injuring over 70, and leaving over 20 missing. [23] [24] Israel claimed to have targeted a senior Hamas militant, without providing their name. [15] [24] [21]

10 April

The IDF stated that Haytham Sheikh Khalil, the commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades' Shuja'iyya Battalion, was the militant killed in the previous day's airstrike, and claimed that the residential building was in reality a command-and-control centre. [8]

12 April

Palestinians in Shuja'iyya were reported to be "trapped", with Israeli tanks surrounding the neighborhood. Sources from the ground also reported that the IDF was shooting whoever was moving or trying to move from one place to another. [25]

Al-Qassam Brigades militants ambushed Israeli soldiers in Shuja'iyya, resulting in two casualties and several injuries, while the Al-Quds Brigades announced their killing of an Israeli sniper atop Al-Muntar Hill, which overlooks the neighborhood. [11]

15 April

Israel said it launched an airstrike on Shuja'iyya that killed the new commander of the Shuja'iyya Battalion, Muhammad al-‘Ajlah, a week after his predecessor Khalil had been killed. [26]

25 April

Clashes between the IDF and the Al-Qassam Brigades were reported in Shuja'iyya, [27] [28] resulting in the killing of one IDF soldier and one Israeli police officer. [7]

3 May

An Israeli airstrike on the neighborhood killed 10 civilians. [16]

10 May

A landmine explosion in Shuja'iyya resulted in injuries among an Israeli force that was combing the area. [6] According to the Al-Quds Brigades, the landmine was planted as part of an ambush that they set up in the neighborhood. [29]

26 May

The Al-Qassam Brigades reported that its fighters targeted IDF soldiers with rockets and detonated a minefield against another Israeli force that had infiltrated east of Shuja'iyya. [30]

The Mujahideen Brigades of the Mujahideen Movement reported they had shot down an Israeli drone flying over Shuja'iyya. [30]

3 June

The Al-Qassam Brigades launched a drone attack against a group of IDF soldiers in Shuja'iyya, causing one casualty and several injuries. [12]

7 June

The Mujahideen Brigades shelled a group of IDF soldiers east of Shuja'iyya, causing one injury. [31]

9 June

Israeli bombings killed a total of 11 people in Shuja'iyya and the adjacent Zeitoun neighborhood. [17]

13 June

The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) reported that they shelled Israeli troops east of Shuja'iyya. [32]

17 June

The Al-Quds Brigades stated that they shot down and captured an Israeli drone that was reportedly gathering intelligence around a local mosque in the neighborhood. [33]

22 June

The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades stated that they shelled Israeli forces at Al-Muntar Hill. [34]

30 June

The IDF reportedly carried out a "wide wave of airstrikes" on Shuja'iyya. [35]

3 July

Ynet reported that the Fatah-affiliated Khalas clan, led by Rami Khalas, was operating in Shuja'iyya and receiving Israeli protection and operational cover. [36]

17 July

Clashes between the IDF and Palestinian militants resulted in injuries to five Israeli soldiers. [37]

See also

Notes

  1. Sources: [11] [7] [12]

References

  1. Easter, Reagan (3 July 2025). "Israel Reportedly Arming Additional Anti-Hamas Clans in Gaza". FDD. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  2. "IDF kills Shejaiya battalion successor in fifth targeted strike since start of war". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 15 April 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  3. "IDF kills Shejaiya battalion successor in fifth targeted strike since start of war". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 15 April 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  4. "Israeli military confirms deaths of Gaza Islamic Jihad terrorists | The Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 11 July 2025. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  5. "IDF announces soldier and police officer were killed during fighting in Gaza City". The Times of Israel .
  6. 1 2 "إصابة ضابطين و7 جنود إسرائيليين بانفجار لغم شمال غزة". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). 10 May 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "IDF announces soldier and police officer were killed during fighting in Gaza City". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  8. 1 2 Staff, J. N. S. (10 April 2025). "IDF eliminates senior Hamas commander in Gaza". JNS.org. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  9. "Israeli military confirms deaths of Gaza Islamic Jihad terrorists | The Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 11 July 2025. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  10. "Israeli military confirms deaths of Gaza Islamic Jihad terrorists | The Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 11 July 2025. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  11. 1 2 "Two Israeli soldiers killed in Shuja'iyya ambush". Al Bawaba. 14 April 2025. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  12. 1 2 "حدث أمني بالشجاعية ومروحيات إسرائيلية تجلي قتلى وجرحى". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). 3 June 2025. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 Fabian, Emanuel (4 April 2025). "IDF widens ground operation in northern Gaza, kills senior Hamas official in Lebanon". The Times of Israel . Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  14. "Israeli military expands ground offensive in north Gaza, closes in on Shujaiya". The New Arab. 4 April 2025.
  15. 1 2 "Israeli strike on Gaza residential building kills 29, medics say". BBC. 9 April 2025. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  16. 1 2 "غزة: مقتل أكثر من 30 فلسطينياً بقصف إسرائيلي على خان يونس وحي الشجاعية". Asharq Al-Awsat (in Arabic). Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  17. 1 2 "Israeli attacks kill at least 23 Palestinians in Gaza since dawn". Middle East Eye. 9 June 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  18. 1 2 "Israel announces expanding ground operation in north Gaza". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  19. "IDF conducts ground activity in Gaza to expand security zone, kills terrorists". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 4 April 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  20. 1 2 3 "Updates: More than 30 people killed by Israel as Gaza supplies run out". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
  21. 1 2 "الاحتلال يستأنف حرب غزة | عشرات الشهداء و"القسام" تقصف أسدود". Al Araby. 6 April 2025.
  22. "مجزرة بحي التفاح في غزة والاحتلال يتوغل بحي الشجاعية لليوم الثالث". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  23. Yee, Vivian; Harouda, Ameera; Alghorra, Saher (9 April 2025). "Israeli Airstrike in Gaza City Leaves Many Dead, Health Officials There Say". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  24. 1 2 "At least 35 killed in Israeli attack on Gaza residential block". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  25. "'A tool of genocide': Israel targets Gaza drinking water facilities". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
  26. "IDF kills Shejaiya battalion successor in fifth targeted strike since start of war". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 15 April 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  27. "إصابة 4 جنود بجيش الاحتلال في حي الشجاعية ورفح بغزة". Mobtada (in Arabic). 25 April 2025. Retrieved 25 April 2025.
  28. "ثالث عملية للمقاومة بأيام.. قتيلان و7 جرحى إسرائيليين بكمائن ومعارك بغزة". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Retrieved 25 April 2025.
  29. "سرايا القدس تعلن تنفيذ عملية نوعية شرق الشجاعية استهدفت قوات الاحتلال وأوقعت قتلى وجرحى". Wattan News. 11 May 2025.
  30. 1 2 "القسام تستهدف قوات إسرائيلية في الشجاعية". مصراوي (in Arabic). 26 May 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  31. "كتائب المجاهدين تمطر قوات الاحتلال بقذائف الهاون شرق الشجاعية وتحقق إصابات مباشرة". الجزيرة مباشر (in Arabic). Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  32. "كتائب "مصطفى" تعلن دك تجمع لقوات العدو الصهيوني شرقي الشجاعية". Saba News Agency (in Arabic). 13 June 2025. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  33. "سرايا القدس تعلن السيطرة على مسيرة إسرائيلية شرق غزة". Lebanon24 (in Arabic). Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  34. "كتائب شهداء الأقصى تعلن استهداف قوات إسرائيلية شرقي حي الشجاعية بقذائف الهاون". الأمصار (in Arabic). 22 June 2025. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  35. Halabi, Einav (30 June 2025). "Palestinians: 'Air Force launched extensive wave of strikes in Gaza City area, at least 15 killed'". Ynetnews. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  36. Halabi, Einav (3 July 2025). "Israel arms Fatah-linked militias, combatting Hamas in Gaza". Ynetnews. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  37. "وسائل إعلام إسرائيلية: إصابة 5 جنود في معارك بحي الشجاعية". صوت بيروت إنترناشونال (in Arabic). 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.