A young tank commander raised his hand.
"Brigade Commander, what do we do after we hold them off?"
Barak looked at him.
"After we hold them off, reinforcements will come."
Another tank commander asked:
"When will the reinforcements arrive?"
Barak didn't answer.
He turned around and got on the tank.
"Let's go."
7 a.m. Jabaliya Refugee Camp, Gaza Strip
The urban battle had already lasted for two hours.
Soldiers of the Squid 84th Infantry Brigade moved through the rubble, holding their guns, watching every window, every door, every alley.
Hamas fighters were mixed in with the refugees; it was impossible to distinguish who was a civilian and who was a warrior.
A young soldier turned a corner and ran into a man in his forties. The man was wearing a tattered robe and holding a child.
The soldier breathed a sigh of relief.
The man pulled an AK-47 from the child's swaddle.
The gun fired.
The soldier fell.
The man disappeared into the alley.
