Gaza stages close-range battles between IDF, Hamas ... while people continue fleeing

Israeli forces and Hamas militants appeared to be battling at close range in Gaza City as thousands of civilians fled south on November 8 to avoid being trapped in the heart of the conflict.

The Israeli military said its troops had advanced into the heart of Gaza City, Hamas' main bastion and the biggest city in the seaside enclave, while the Islamist group said its fighters had inflicted heavy losses.

Hamas' armed wing on November 8 released a video that appeared to show intense street battles alongside bombed out buildings in Gaza City.

Israeli tanks have met heavy resistance from Hamas fighters using underground tunnels to stage ambushes, according to sources with Iran-backed Hamas and the separate Islamic Jihad militant group.

Israel struck Gaza in response to a cross-border Hamas raid on southern Israel on Oct. 7 in which gunmen killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and took about 240 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Palestinian officials said 10,569 people had been killed as of November 8, 40% of them children. Israel says 33 of its soldiers have been killed.

One clip from the Hamas video released on the same day showed fighters running past piles of debris and stopping to fire shoulder-propelled missiles at Israeli tanks. Another showed them shooting rifles from perches behind buildings and dumpsters. Reuters was not able to authenticate the footage.

Saleh al-Arouri, an exiled Hamas commander, told Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV that Israeli forces may gain control of some areas in Gaza.

"But that will not stop the resistance's fight against soldiers and tanks. The more (Israel) spreads and expands on the ground, the deeper its losses will become", he said.