Israel says it destroyed Hamas in northern Gaza

The Israeli army claimed on Saturday (Jan 6, 2024) to have destroyed Hamas as an organized fighting force in the north of the Gaza Strip. With this, the country begins a new phase of the war, shifting the focus to the center and south of the region.

The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said in a statement that 12 battalions of the extremist group based in the north have already lost their functionality as combat units.

According to him, 8,000 members of the group were killed, including commanders, and around 30,000 weapons were seized. Israel estimates that Hamas has around 25,000 to 30,000 men and 20 battalions across the Gaza Strip.

The country claims that the new phase of the war will be “low intensity” in clashes, to minimize the deaths of Palestinian civilians. Israel began a gradual withdrawal of troops from Gaza last week, so that military reservists can return to their jobs in the country, in an effort to revive the economy.

This Sunday (7.Jan.2024), the war completes 3 months. At least 22,835 Palestinians have died in the Gaza Strip, including 9,600 children and 6,750 women, according to Al Jazeera. In Israel, 1,139 people died in the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

EXPULSION OF PALESTINIANS

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said this Sunday in interview with NBC News that the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza “absolutely” It is not the country's position. “A minister can say whatever he wants. I may not like it, but that is Israeli policy.”he declared.

Israeli ministers, such as Bezalel Smotritch (Finance) and Itamar Ben-Gvir (National Security), defended the withdrawal of part of the Palestinian population from the region.

Last week, the US State Department said that this idea is unacceptable and that the country rejects the ministers' statements. “This rhetoric is inflammatory and irresponsible”said spokesman Matthew Miller, in note.