Dramatic news reports, claims and videos have emerged from both sides involved in the Gaza fight. The week started with the Israeli army releasing several videos of Palestinians stripped to their underwear and being marched through urban ruins, Al Jazeera reports.

Israel staunchly asserted that the men were Hamas fighters and that their alleged mass surrenders signified that the end of the Palestinian group was close, even as many Palestinians and independent observers insisted that the men were civilians who had been treated against the laws of war by being publicly humiliated.

For its part, Hamas stuck to its usual practice of pushing its cause through video releases — skilfully edited to enhance the desired effects — purporting to confirm its constant and numerous successes against Israeli invaders, mostly showing hits scored against armoured vehicles.

Then came the news that stunned Israel and put a big question mark on its official line of Hamas being on the verge of collapse. First, nine soldiers were killed in a single operation in the Shujaiya neighbourhood of Gaza City on Tuesday.

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