Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant confirmed today, Sunday, that his forces have choked Hamas in the Gaza Strip. During a field tour in Rafah, he stated, "We have reached places we never dreamed of reaching deep inside Gaza." He added, "Hamas is exhausted and unable to recover." Gallant emphasized, "We will continue the war until Hamas is unable to rebuild its capabilities again."
Earlier today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated before the war cabinet, "Our forces are operating in Rafah, Shuja'iyya, and throughout the Gaza Strip," adding, "Dozens of terrorists are being eliminated every day. It is a difficult battle we are fighting on the ground, sometimes through hand-to-hand combat, as well as underground."
This comes as violent battles continue in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood of Gaza City for the fourth consecutive day, prompting tens of thousands of Palestinians to flee. Airstrikes targeted several different areas in the Gaza Strip overnight, including northern Gaza City and the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis.
Since Thursday, the Israeli army has been conducting an operation in Shuja'iyya, claiming that there is "terrorist infrastructure" in the area. The armed wings of both Hamas and Islamic Jihad reported that they are engaged in battles with Israeli forces in the Shuja'iyya area.
**Dismantling Hamas' Military Structure**
Israel announced in early January that it had dismantled the "military structure" of Hamas in northern Gaza, which experienced intense fighting in the early months of the war. The Israeli army stated yesterday, Saturday, that its forces "eliminated a number of terrorists, found weapons, and launched airstrikes on booby-trapped combat complexes," alongside shelling "dozens of sites of terrorist infrastructure."
On Sunday, it also announced the continuation of operations in Rafah in the southern sector and in its center. The war erupted after an unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, leading to a concentrated bombing campaign followed by a large-scale ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. According to the latest toll from the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 37,877 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip.
