Israel stated on Tuesday that it had “restored full control” of the Gaza border and had “largely regained control” of the country’s southern sector, according to the Associated Press. It is also thought to have killed 1,500 Hamas terrorists on Israeli soil, the bodies of whom were supposedly discovered. According to Israeli military spokesperson Richard Hecht, no Hamas terrorists have entered Israel since Monday night. He went on to say that the army had “nearly completed” the evacuation of all border settlements.
In an unprecedented offensive, the Palestinian terror group Hamas launched over 5,000 rockets into Israel and sent militants across the border on Saturday. Despite its famous intelligence and military capability, Hamas caught Israel off guard. In response, Israel assembled 300,000 troops for retaliatory operations against Hamas in Gaza, its strongest force since the Yom Kippur War in 1973. With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring all-out war and other countries joining in, the conflict might last a long time.
The Israeli military has struck hundreds of Hamas sites: Spokesperson
According to the Associated Press, Hecht stated that the Israeli military targeted scores of Hamas targets overnight in Gaza’s City Rimal, including major Hamas ministries and administration buildings. He reportedly indicated that villagers were urged to evacuate prior to the Israeli strikes via social media, without providing any other information. Hecht stated that Palestinians must attempt to exit via the Rafah crossing, but he did not specify where they may go or how they could use the occasionally blocked crossing.
Hamas leader is ready for a long conflict and is holding captives
Separately, a senior Hamas leader stated that the group was prepared for a lengthy battle with Israel and intended to utilize hostages held in Gaza to secure the release of Palestinians detained in Israel and other countries. Ali Barakeh, a member of the exiled Hamas leadership in Beirut, reportedly claimed the party has a large inventory of missiles that could last for a long time. He went on to say that only a few senior commanders within Gaza were aware of Hamas’s infiltration on Saturday.
Hamas was taken aback by the scope of their operation
According to Barakeh, even Hamas was startled by the scope of their operation; they anticipated Israel to impede or curtail it. He also refuted accusations that Iranian security officials were involved in the planning of the strike, but stated that friends such as Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah “will join the battle if Gaza is subjected to a war of annihilation.”On Saturday, Hamas terrorists launched rockets at Israel and stormed through the border fence, killing over 900 people.
