Israel’s military has declared the destruction of Hamas in northern Gaza, announcing a shift in focus towards the central and southern regions. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari of the Israel Defense Forces stated that the 12 battalions of the Palestinian terror group in north Gaza have been defeated.
While acknowledging the possibility of scattered fighting in the north, Hagari emphasized that Hamas is now left “without a framework and without commanders” in that area. The military aims to continue dismantling Hamas in central and southern Gaza, employing lessons learned from previous engagements. The war is anticipated to last for at least a year.
The official said the center and southern part of Gaza are “dense and saturated with terrorists” using “an underground city of branching tunnels,” according to the Guardian. Maj Gen Amos Yadlin said, “It will take a year to dismantle Hamas. the destruction of Hamas
“In 2002, it took two months to get into Palestinian cities and two years to make the terror stop,” Yadlin said, referring to the Israeli offensive in the West Bank after a series of suicide bombings there more than two decades ago. “So Israel is looking at nine months to a year [in Gaza now]. It depends on how long Hamas will hold [on].”
In the IDF’s campaign in northern Gaza, approximately 8,000 Hamas militants have been reported killed, with key commanders among the casualties, and around 30,000 weapons confiscated, as per the Financial Times. This announcement marks a significant milestone in Israel’s efforts to eliminate Hamas, coinciding with the three-month anniversary of the terror group’s October 7 attack on Israel, resulting in about 1,200 Israeli deaths and 240 hostages. Prior to this announcement, Israel had already started reducing operations in northern Gaza, reallocating resources to central and southern Gaza. Despite calls from the Biden administration to shift focus to targeted attacks on Hamas leadership, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained a commitment to continue the war until the group no longer poses a threat to Israel.