Siege of Al-Qarara

The Siege of Al-Qarara was a military engagement between invading Israeli forces and local Palestinian forces.

Siege
On the 6th of December, Israeli forces invaded Al-Qarara, clashing with Palestinian forces. On the 11th of December, Israeli forces attacked the areas of al-Sureij and al-Qarara. On 31st of December, it was reported that Israeli forces had moved troops into Al–Sureij, tightening the siege around Al-Qarara. On the 10th of January, Al Jazeera was able to access Al-Qarara following Israeli retreat where it documented massive destruction and large number of deaths.

On the 3rd of March, Israeli forces resumed operations in Al-Qarara. On the 9th of March IDF Bislamach Brigade clashed with Palestinian militants in Qarara. Hamas’ Qarara Battalion remained combat effective. On the 16th of March, Israel made small advances in Al-Qarara. On March 21st, Israeli 7th Brigade clashed with Palestinian forces who targeted their tanks with RPGs. On the 24th of March, Israel targeted a Hamas meeting in Qarara. On the 29th of March, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine separately claimed a series of attacks in Al-Qarara. On the 2nd of April, IDF 7th Brigade conducted an airstrike targeting Palestinian militants and weapon depots in Qarara. On the 3rd of April, IDF reported to have destroyed a rocket launcher inside an olive garden in Al-Qarara. On the 7th of April, 2024 Israeli forces withdrew from Al-Qarara and other areas in southern Gaza strip. They failed to find senior Hamas officials or hostages there despite intelligence indicating so.

Aftermath
On 22 May 2024 Israeli announced a raid on Al-Qarara killing several Hamas fighters. On June 2nd, Israeli shelling of Al-Qarara was reported.