“200 terrorists surrendered”
Gallant: Hamas has lost its fighting spirit
February 18, 2024, 10:59 p.m
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Israel has been fighting the Islamist Hamas for months. The Israeli Defense Minister now reports that several supporters of the terrorist organization have surrendered. He sees this as a sign that the militia in the Gaza Strip has been significantly weakened.
Israel’s Defense Minister Joav Galant is convinced that the fighting spirit of the Islamist Hamas militias in the Gaza Strip has been broken after more than four months of war. “200 terrorists surrendered (in Khan Yunis) at Nasser Hospital, dozens more at Amal Hospital,” Galant said at a briefing with army commanders. “This shows that Hamas has lost its fighting spirit,” he added. The information could not initially be independently verified.
In addition, the Hamas leadership under its Gaza boss Jihia al-Sinwar, who is hiding from the Israeli security forces, has lost contact with the outside world. “The Gaza branch of Hamas is not responding,” Galant said. “There’s no one left locally to talk to.” Hamas only has organized forces in the central Gaza Strip and in Rafah, the southern border town with Egypt. If the army decides to take action there, “there will be no one to come to their aid – no Iranians and no international support.”
A controversial deployment
Galant met the commanders of the units fighting in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army has been operating against Hamas in the southern city of Khan Yunis for several weeks. She is also preparing an operation in Rafah. The Israeli government has not yet made a decision on this matter. Military action in the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip is highly controversial because 1.3 million Palestinians are crowded there, most of whom have fled fighting in other parts of the coastal area.
The Gaza war was triggered by the unprecedented massacre carried out by terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups on October 7th in Israel near the border with Gaza. On the Israeli side, more than 1,200 people were killed. Israel responded with massive air strikes and a ground offensive. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, the number of Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip has risen to almost 29,000 since the start of the war.