The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, have launched a series of operations under the name “Moses’ Staff” in response to Israel’s latest campaign, “Gideon’s Chariots 2,” which seeks to occupy Gaza City and expel its population.
While the Israeli operation’s title carries biblical symbolism reflecting the government’s ambition to impose control over the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian resistance insists on thwarting these goals through readiness, resilience, and new battlefield tactics designed to inflict maximum losses on Israeli soldiers.
Precision Strikes
Recent Al-Qassam operations reveal a strategy aimed at delivering strategic blows to the Israeli army and undermining the “achievements” touted by Netanyahu’s government. Central to this strategy are special operations intended to capture additional Israeli soldiers.
This runs counter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s position—himself wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Gaza—who claims that intensified military pressure will secure the release of Israeli captives.
The resistance’s approach was demonstrated on 20 August, during the Fakhari operation east of Khan Younis, where an entire Qassam unit stormed a newly established Israeli base. Days later, on Saturday in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood, Palestinian fighters engaged occupation troops directly, with reports of four Israeli soldiers going missing, prompting Israeli warplanes and rescue units to intervene.
Reinforcing this momentum, Al-Qassam spokesperson Abu Ubaida tweeted on Saturday:
“The enemy’s criminal plans to occupy Gaza will be a curse upon its political and military leadership. Its army will pay in blood, and the likelihood of capturing new soldiers will only increase.”
A field commander from the resistance told Al Jazeera Net that fighters have drawn lessons from all previous confrontations:
“Our fighters now know how to pose a direct threat to occupation soldiers through carefully prepared ambushes.”
According to the commander, Israel’s overwhelming firepower during incursions into residential areas does not guarantee troop safety. The resistance has adapted its plans to match enemy movements and ensure Israeli forces fall into focused, deadly traps.
A Long Battle Ahead
Palestinian writer and political analyst Wisam Afifa explained that Israel’s “Gideon’s Chariots 2” is rooted in biblical references reflecting an ambition for full military domination. The resistance’s “Moses’ Staff” counters this with symbolism tied to the Qur’anic miracle that nullified Pharaoh’s sorcery and reversed the balance.
Afifa stressed that such symbolism is not merely rhetorical: it underscores a battle of narratives and morale running parallel to the battlefield. Israel attempts to cloak its war in historical and religious legitimacy, while the resistance employs Qur’anic imagery to inspire its people and challenge its enemy.
He noted that Israel’s official approval of a plan to seize Gaza City is meant to project decisive strength. Yet in military reality, “Moses’ Staff” is positioned to face ‘Gideon’s Chariots 2’ through guerrilla tactics long mastered by the resistance: advanced ambushes, tunnels, explosive devices, and attacks on supply lines. These methods have repeatedly weakened Israel’s technologically superior army and forced it to retreat or adjust its strategies.
Afifa concluded that this is not a clash of names but a contest of wills and strategies: Israel seeks comprehensive field control, but the resistance still holds the initiative on terrain it knows intimately, supported by a society prepared for a protracted struggle.
Biblical Symbolism and Military Failure
The use of the name “Gideon’s Chariots” for the Gaza operation dates back to May, when the Israeli army declared its intention to expand the war by moving most residents to Rafah in southern Gaza, then sending in ground forces to occupy large parts of the Strip. The long-term goal was to destroy Hamas and demolish its tunnel network, cementing a permanent military presence.
The name draws from Jewish scripture, where Gideon is depicted as a commander who defeated Midianite armies with only a small force.
Despite the lofty symbolism, Israel’s first “Gideon’s Chariots” campaign ended last month without achieving its objectives. A leaked internal army document, reported by Channel 12, admitted that the operation focused mainly on destroying buildings while the army “committed every possible error in battle management contrary to its combat doctrine.” The document added that the campaign cost Israel significant international legitimacy in its war on Gaza.
Undeterred, the Israeli army launched “Gideon’s Chariots 2” with the same objectives. Yet even Israeli voices question its viability. Retired Major General Yitzhak Brik warned, as cited by Maariv, that:
“The plan to occupy Gaza is unattainable and will plunge Israel into chaos.”
Brik argued that the condition of Israel’s ground forces explains its inability to defeat Hamas. A shortage of additional troops undermines its capacity to hold territory, while the army has failed to create specialised units capable of combating Gaza’s vast tunnel networks.
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God bless and continue to guide the mujahidin to victory. Nabee Moosa’s staff swallow and overwhelmed Pharaoh and his army so shall the resistance swallow the tyrant Netanyahu and his cursed nation of Israel inshaAllah amini!