The Siege of Khan Yunis was a battle of the Israel-Hamas War that was fought from 2023 to 2024 as the Israel Defense Forces pushed into the Gazan city of Khan Yunis amid Operation Iron Swords.
On 1 December 2023, Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck over 50 targets in a massive air raid on Khan Yunis, with air raids and artillery strikes continuing for the next few days. Israeli troops and armored vehicles began their invasion of Khan Yunis on 3 December, while Hamas targeted Israei troops and armored vehicles with mortar shells and Yassin RPGs. By 5 December, IDF troops reached the center of Khan Yunis, enduring the most intense day of battles since the start of ground operations. Hamas claimed to have destroyed 24 military vehicles while demolishing a building housing Israeli troops with a barrel bomb and TBG explosives. By 18 December, the IDF destroyed multiple Hamas tunnels and a drone factory, impairing Hamas' ability to launch rocket strikes on Israel. However, Hamas claimed to have lured Israeli engineers into explosive-rigged tunnels before killing them. By 4 January 2024, the IDF claimed to have significantly degraded the command and control of Hamas' Khan Yunis Brigade's northern and eastern battalions, and, while the Israelis surrounded the city, Hamas naval special forces reinforced Palestinian fighters in Khan Yunis via tunnel systems. On 24 January, 21 Israeli soldiers were killed in a Hamas-triggered building collapse in the deadliest day of the war since the Israeli ground invasion began. By 1 February, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced that all Hamas battalions in Khan Yunis had been dismantled. On 7 April 2024, Israel withdrew its troops from Khan Yunis to recuperate and prepare for future operations; however, a significant force from the 162nd Division and the Nahal Brigade remained in other areas of the strip.