Israel also says it destroyed the command structures of the extremist organization Hamas in northern Gaza. According to Hamas health officials, more than 22,000 people have died in the war.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said at a press conference late Saturday night that eight thousand Hamas fighters had been killed. The information could not be verified from independent sources.
According to Hagar, the war against Hamas is now focused on the central and southern parts of Gaza.
According to health authorities managed by Hamas, more than 22,000 people have died during the war that began in early October. Yesterday, Saturday, 120 people died within 24 hours, say Hamas officials.
On Sunday morning, six people died in the West Bank after Israel attacked the Jenin refugee camp, Palestinian officials say.
Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants have been forced to leave their homes.
The Israeli offensive began on October 7th, after Hamas carried out a brutal surprise attack across the Israeli border. The terrorists killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages. More than 120 are still hostages.
Israel still vows to destroy Hamas
The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, brought up the goal heard many times yesterday, that the purpose of the war is to “destroy” Hamas so that it is no longer a threat to Israel.
According to many experts, the complete destruction of Hamas is unrealistic, as Hamas also has many civil administration functions in Gaza, and is also an ideological movement.
There have been few public reflections on the post-war administration of Gaza, but at least one has been voiced by Israel’s defense minister Yoav Gallant. A couple of days ago, he presented a plan according to which Gaza would be ruled by the Palestinians after the war, but without Hamas or Israel. However, the plan has reportedly not been discussed in, for example, the Israeli government.
The spread of war is feared
Tension also continues on the border between Israel and Lebanon.
The extremist organization Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel yesterday, Saturday. It is seen as a response from the Hamas military commander Saleh al-Arourin for the assassination carried out by Israel in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon.
Israeli army spokesman Hagari said at a press conference that Hezbollah is dragging Lebanon into the war.
– We destroyed the Hezbollah groups that attacked Israel on Saturday, Hagari said.
Sources: Reuters, AFP