Australia / Israel Review

Hamas has moved its terrorist command and control centres into numerous schools in Gaza. Over the past two months, the IDF has carried out almost 20 airstrikes on these Hamas command centres. The decision by Hamas to exploit the former schools of Gaza comes after it also sought to embed itself in hospitals.

The Israel Defence Force (IDF) began a new operation in Gaza in the second week of October, directed at Hamas activity in Jabaliya, in northern Gaza. The operation is the latest attempt to uproot Hamas from areas within Gaza. The IDF is operating in other areas of northern Gaza and controls the Netzarim corridor south of Gaza City and the Philadelphi corridor in southern Gaza.

In general, the IDF has reduced its operations in Gaza to low intensity over the last several months. With the Hamas Rafah brigades defeated, the theory was that Hamas didn’t have many organised units in Gaza.

However, where Hamas does have organised units, it has often set up command and control centres in schools. This might be a long-term tactic Hamas has used. However, it appears more pronounced in recent months. 

Here is what is known about Hamas and its use of schools in Gaza during the last month-and-a-half.

On September 1, the IDF reported that it carried out a strike on a Hamas “command and control centre embedded inside the area that previously served as the Safad School in Gaza City.” The IDF said Hamas used this centre to plan and carry out terror attacks against the IDF and the State of Israel.

“Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence,” it reported.

The IDF added that “the Hamas terrorist organisation systematically violates international law and operates from within civilian infrastructure and shelters in the Gaza Strip, brutally exploiting the Gazan civilian population for its terrorist activities.”

In all the cases reviewed, the IDF used similar language regarding attempts to mitigate the risk of harming civilians and also noted that Hamas violates international law.

On Sept. 7, the IDF struck another command and control centre in the Halima al-Sa’diyya School in the northern Gaza Strip. In addition, the Israel Air Force struck terrorists who had set up shop inside what was previously the Amr Ibn al-As School in the northern Gaza Strip.

Four days later, another Hamas command and control centre was found in a building that had been al-Jaouni School in Nuseirat in central Gaza.

The Sept. 11 strike on this former school eliminated a number of key terrorists, including Aysar Karadia, a terrorist in Hamas brigades who also worked for Hamas internal security forces, and a number of Hamas members who the IDF accused of moonlighting as UNRWA employees.

The next day, the Israel Air Force also targeted the former Raazi al-Shua School in Beit Hanoun.

On Sept. 18, the IDF targeted a building that had been the Ibn al-Haytam School in Gaza City.

Three days later, another strike hit al-Falah School in Gaza City, and soon after, another Hamas command centre was found in the Kafr Qasem School in northern Gaza.

Throughout the rest of September, the IDF identified four more former schools used by Hamas as command and control centres. 

In the first week of October, the IDF appears to have found more Hamas command and control centres in schools and has increased the number of missions against these sites.

For instance, on Oct. 2 the IDF targeted Hamas centres inside compounds that had been the Muscat and Rimal Schools in northern Gaza. In central Gaza, Hamas used al-Bureij Preparatory School and also the Nuseirat Girls’ School.

There were other attacks on command and control centres in other former schools on Oct. 5, 6 and 8. 

The pattern of Hamas using schools in Gaza is clear. Most of the schools are in northern Gaza, with some in central Gaza.

It appears Hamas has not been able to use as many schools in Khan Younis or southern Gaza, either because of previous IDF operations or because of the IDF’s presence nearby.

Seth J. Frantzman is the senior Middle East Correspondent and analyst at the Jerusalem Post. © Jerusalem Post (jpost.com), reprinted by permission, all rights reserved.