Israeli soldiers and tanks gather in a field in the south of the occupied territories    (Photo by AFP)

Tehran, October 24 (RHC)-- The Israeli regime’s ground invasion of the Gaza Strip was abortive in two fronts on Sunday after attempts by the occupation forces to enter the cities of Rafah and Khan Younis in the south of the besieged territory failed, Press TV’s sources say.

The informed sources told the English-language news network that the Israeli forces were “caught in an ambush” near Rafah on Sunday afternoon and left behind more than 10 tanks.  The sources also said more than 20 Israeli tanks trying to enter Khan Younis were “forced to retreat” on Sunday night.

The Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, said in a statement earlier that its forces had confronted and repelled an “infiltrating force” of the Israeli military in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Qassam said its fighters destroyed two infiltrating armored bulldozers and one tank in a border area in the east of Khan Younis and forced the Israeli troops to leave their vehicles and escape on foot into a military post behind the fence. The Brigades said its fighters returned to their posts safely following the border operation.

“Fighters engaged with the infiltrating force, destroying two bulldozers and a tank and forced (the enemy) to withdraw, before they returned safely to base,” the statement said.  The Israeli military said one of its soldiers was killed and three were injured during the confrontation, with local sources reporting hearing fierce armed clashes and explosions in the east of Khan Younis.

The latest developments come amid speculations of an imminent ground invasion by the Israeli military of the Gaza Strip as the illegal entity’s brutal onslaught on the besieged area drags on for the 17th day.

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas-led resistance groups launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, a surprise attack into the occupied territories in response to the Israeli regime’s intensified crimes against the Palestinian people.

Medical sources in Gaza announced on Monday the number of Palestinians killed in the besieged Strip raised to 5,087, including 2,055 children, 1,119 women and 217 elderly people, and over 15,270 wounded.

The Gaza Strip, which is one of the most densely-populated places in the world, has been deprived of water, food and other basic supplies due to Israel’s total blockade.