Hamas crumbles under Israel’s blows. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) offensive in the Gaza Strip is causing the collapse of the organisation’s military wing, according to information provided by Israel’s top brass. For days there has been news relating to the surrender of hundreds of militiamen: the script, it seems, continues to repeat itself daily.
“I see the results every day. Every day we see more and more terrorists killed, more and more terrorists injured and many terrorists are surrendering in the last days. A sign of the dismantling of the system” of Hamas. “A sign that we have to push harder,” says IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi during his statements to troops in southern Israel.
In the last few hours, a video has been released by the Israeli press, which appears to have been shot in Northern Gaza, in which an alleged Hamas militant is seen handing over an assault rifle to the Israeli forces while dozens of undressed Palestinian men surrender to Tsahal.
Earlier this week images circulated on social media showing dozens of men detained by the IDF. There is no independent confirmation regarding their actual participation in the hostilities. The army spokesman later said that he was questioning all those who had surrendered after the fighting.
Hunt for Sinwar, hidden in Khan Younis
The offensive also revolves around the hunt for the Hamas leader in the Strip. Yahya Sinwar would still be in Khan Younis and probably in one of the tunnels that lie under the city located in the south of the enclave. Sinwar, according to the Israeli public television ‘Kan’, fled Gaza City to take refuge in Khan Yunis at the beginning of the war that broke out after the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October. Sinwar allegedly fled in a vehicle used to transport “humanitarian aid”.
On the ground, fighting continues. The Al-Qassam Brigades, a military faction of Hamas, announced “hand-to-hand clashes with the occupation forces west of the Jabalia refugee camp”. And also in Zaytoun, still in the north of the Strip. According to the IDF, Hamas militants occupied buildings in the camp. Hamas men also set up ambushes in the same area. But the Israeli military, it is claimed, managed to flank the enemy, surprising him.
Also according to the IDF, the battle continues in Khan Yunis, in the south, supported by the air forces. A bomb exploded next to a mosque attacked by the military. Several other Israeli operations are underway in the south, including one against a Hamas command post and tunnel.
Almost 18 thousand dead between Gaza and the West Bank
The death toll in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank has risen to 17,674 dead and over 49,300 injured. According to what the Palestinian news agency ‘Wafa’ reports, the Minister of Health of the West Bank, controlled by the PNA, claims this. The ministry explains that the number of deaths in the Gaza Strip stands at 17,400 while in the West Bank at 274: 46,000 Palestinians were injured in Gaza and almost 3,300 in the West Bank. On Friday, the ministry claims, at least 300 civilians were killed.
The Ministry of Health also reports that more than 60% of homes in Gaza have been destroyed. The settler attacks continue, underlines the ministry, “with 308 incidents recorded” since October 7, the day of the Hamas attack on Israel.
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