Military and strategic expert, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, suggested that the Al-Qassam Brigades – the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) – will carry out specific operations against the Israeli forces penetrating east of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, within the next 48 hours.
During his analysis of the field scene on the island, Al-Duwairi attributed his estimates to the fact that the occupation army relied on armored vehicles supported by brigades east of Rafah, to penetrate into open areas, which constitutes difficulty for the resistance in initial dealings with them.
He added that Al-Qassam fighters and the rest of the factions are underground, and some time must pass to absorb the shock, “and then employ the tunnel network to carry out specific operations during the next 36-48 hours.”
He warned that the method of managing the defensive battle may become clear within 48 hours by the Palestinian resistance, as the battle is still in its infancy and is currently relying on bombing operations inside the Gaza envelope, carrying out sniper operations, and limited use of anti-armor missiles.
He stressed that the current Rafah operation is a limited battle within the framework of a specific place to achieve political goals, including controlling the Rafah border crossing, closing it and isolating the Gaza Strip from the world.
Among the objectives also – according to Al-Duwairi – is the bombing of high-rise residential towers with the aim of depriving the resistance of carrying out monitoring, surveillance and sniping operations, as well as completing the process of systematic destruction of the necessities of life, destroying dozens of apartments and killing dozens.
Estimates of the duration of the war
Regarding the statements of occupation army spokesman Daniel Hagari that Israel planned a war that would last approximately a year, Al-Duwairi stated that estimating the duration of the war depends on the nature of the battles, the size of the participating forces, and the method of managing the defensive battle.
He added, “7 months have passed since the war, without achieving any military achievements after employing more than 35% of the total occupation army,” adding that the size of the participating force at the height of the war amounted to 21 brigades, compared to 5 brigades currently, 3 of which are regular, “which means that “There is still a long way to go to achieve the war goals.”
The strategic expert concluded that political goals are difficult to translate into a military plan, “Therefore, the time frame and dimensions of the battle in built-up areas will prolong the duration of the battle.”
Hagari had stated – earlier on Wednesday – that “Gaza is one of the most difficult battlefields in the world, in terms of fighting, its intensity, and the tunnels that Hamas dug underground.”