“Military structure dismantled”
Israel reports the destruction of Hamas in the north
January 6, 2024, 11:06 p.m
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Hamas’ military infrastructure in the north of the Gaza Strip has been destroyed. According to the Israeli army, more than half of the 14,000 terrorists who once numbered have been killed. The organized command structure no longer exists. Now the war against the Islamists in the south continues.
The Israeli military spokesman has reported the military structure of the Islamist Hamas in the north of the Gaza Strip as dismantled. Spokesman Daniel Hagari said in the evening that before the war began three months ago, Hamas had two brigades with twelve regiments in the north of the coastal strip. “In total there were about 14,000 terrorists,” said Hagari. Since then, numerous commanders have been killed and weapons and ammunition destroyed. The soldiers found underground tunnels and demolished them.
In the refugee district of Jabalia in the northern section of the Gaza Strip alone, eight kilometers of underground tunnels and 40 entrances were found, said Hagari. Hamas no longer functions in an organized manner in this area. “There are still terrorists in Jabalia, but now they operate without a framework and without commanders.” However, he expects continued sporadic rocket attacks on Israel from this area.
Israeli Defense Minister Joav Galant announced in November that Hamas had lost control of Gaza. However, the fighting continued. According to Israeli reports, around 8,000 terrorists have been killed so far.
8000 terrorists killed
The army is now concentrating on destroying Hamas structures in the center and south of the Gaza Strip. In the central and southern Gaza Strip, “we will do things differently” than in the north, Hagari announced, without giving details. “The refugee camps in the center of the Gaza Strip are overcrowded and full of terrorists,” he said. Chan Yunis in the south has an “underground city made up of multiple branching tunnels. This takes time; there are no shortcuts in the fight against terrorism.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that his government had ordered the army to “eliminate Hamas,” return all hostages and ensure that the Gaza Strip “never again poses a threat to Israel.” He declared: “The war must not end until we have achieved all objectives.”
The Gaza war was triggered by the devastating terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas and other extremist Palestinian groups on October 7th. Israel responded with massive air strikes and a ground offensive. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, 22,600 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since then. In view of the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the sealed-off coastal area and the high number of civilian casualties, Israel is under international pressure.