Gantz: "Hamas" Defeated Militarily in Gaza

Israeli Minister of War Benny Gantz stated that "Hamas has been militarily defeated in the Gaza Strip" by the Israeli army, which will continue its offensive, especially in the Rafah area. During a visit to Sderot in southern Israel, Gantz said: "From a military perspective, Hamas has been defeated. Its fighters are either dead or hiding. Their capabilities have been diminished, and we will continue to strike what remains." He added that for the Israeli army, which has been fighting the Palestinian movement in the Gaza Strip for more than six months, "victory will come step by step." Gantz, a former Chief of Staff of the army, continued: "We are on the right path and will not stop. We will enter Rafah and return to Khan Younis," located in the southern Gaza Strip, which the army announced it had withdrawn from on Sunday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed in recent days his intention to proceed with the attack on Rafah, at the far southern end of the strip near the closed border with Egypt, and to set a date for it.