A gloomy atmosphere prevails on the Palestinian street in Gaza, and among the Palestinian public, there is a growing understanding that the IDF can reach any place in the Gaza Strip.
The sentiment is particularly pronounced in the wake of the assassination of Hamas's political bureau chief, Ismail Haniyeh, and the appointment of Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, as the new head of the bureau, along with the third entry of the 98th Division into the Khan Yunis area.
Additionally, the response of Gaza residents to Sinwar's appointment as the head of the Hamas political bureau is pessimistic. Many believe that he will likely take a tougher stance in negotiations over hostages, which will prolong the war.
"At this stage, what concerns the residents most is when the war will end," military sources said. The sources also claimed that the Palestinian public believes Sinwar will try to secure immunity from targeted killing or an escape route out of Gaza, during the negotiations.
Third time into Khan Yunis
On Friday, the IDF launched another operation in Khan Yunis — the third since the outbreak of the war. The decision to launch the operation was made based on intelligence indicating the presence of terrorists and terror infrastructure.
The military has been working to thwart Hamas's attempt to recuperate its forces and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, according to an IDF spokesperson.
The unit entrusted with the operation in Gaza City is the 98th Division.
As the fighting in Khan Yunis began, the combat team of Brigade 7 and the Paratroopers Brigade started maneuvering above and below ground, where they are clearing the area of terrorists as well as locating and destroying weapons and terror infrastructure.
Simultaneously with the ground incursion, fighter jets, attack helicopters, and the 98th Division's fire control center struck over 30 Hamas targets, including weapons depots and assembly areas for terrorists.
Three days ago, Hamas announced that Sinwar would be the new head of the organization's political bureau, replacing Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated last week.
Sinwar has been hiding in Gaza since the beginning of the war, which, according to reports, he planned with several other commanders in the military wing. He is at the top of the IDF's target list and is one of the few leaders of the organization who have survived.
Released from Israeli prison as part of the Shalit deal in 2011, Sinwar replaced Haniyeh as the leader of the organization in Gaza in 2017, and secured another term in Hamas's internal elections four years later. Under his leadership, the center of gravity of Hamas's leadership shifted to Gaza from its members abroad.