Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant assured on Monday that “Hamas has lost control of Gaza” and that “terrorists are fleeing south.” The statements come on the 38th day of the war, after photos circulated on social media showing alleged Israeli soldiers from the Golani Brigade posing with Israeli flags in the Gaza parliament. Since 2007, it, like the government of the Palestinian enclave, has been controlled by Hamas.
“There is no Hamas force that can stop the IDF [sigla das Forças de Defesa de Israel em inglês]Gallant said, explaining that the Israeli military is “making progress on all counts.” According to the minister, as members of the terrorist group flee south, Palestinian civilians are ‘looting’ their bases. “They have no confidence in the government whatsoever,” he said. Gallant further indicated that the IDF is making progress according to plans. “We will achieve our goals.”
The aim is to defeat the group responsible for the October 7 surprise terrorist attack on Israel, which Tel Aviv authorities say resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people. According to the same source, at least 239 people were taken hostage and taken to Gaza. Since then, Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip – and since October 27, the ground operation – has reportedly caused the deaths of 11,000 people (of which approximately 4,500 are children and 3,000 women). .
Regarding the terrorist group, the IDF announced that it started the war with approximately 30,000 troops divided into five regional brigades. These in turn would be divided into 24 battalions and a total of 140 companies. Each battalion numbered more than a thousand men. The Israelis say they have already destroyed the effectiveness of 10 of Hamas’ 24 battalions.
Hospitals used by Hamas
IDF spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari revealed images of Israeli troops at the Rantisi Children’s Hospital in Gaza City. “Underneath the hospital, in the basement, we found a Hamas control and command center, suicide vests, grenades, AK-47 machine guns, explosives, grenade launchers and other weapons,” he said. said at the press conference, repeating what Israel has said since the start of the war: “Hamas is hiding in hospitals” and using civilians as “human shields.”
Hagari further explained that Israeli forces found “signs indicating that Hamas was holding hostages” at the hospital, however, indicating that the situation is under investigation. “We’ve seen makeshift bathrooms. You don’t build bathrooms unless you want to hold hostages. We also found baby supplies.”, he said. ‘They built a small kitchen next to a hidden room, with ventilation from outside. We assume that this room and this room were for terrorists or terrorists and hostages. No one puts a curtain on the wall unless they want to create a place that no one knows. if it is a basement,” he added.
Regarding the approximately 240 hostages that Hamas brought to Gaza, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan expressed no confidence. “I can’t look you in the eye and tell you how many of those hostages are still alive.” he told reporters when asked about the hostages, including at least nine Americans. Hamas claims that several dozen people have been killed in Israel’s own attacks on Gaza. Sullivan also said he cannot guarantee Israel is following the rules of war when asked about possible war crimes committed by the Israelis.
Meanwhile, fighting continues around another hospital, Dar al-Shifa, the largest on Palestinian territory. Hundreds of patients are reportedly still in the complex, in six buildings, including dozens of babies at risk of death because there is no electricity. The hospital also served as a refuge for many Palestinians who fled their homes because of the Israeli bombing, but who in the meantime fled because of the advancing Israeli forces, which are on the doorstep of the complex under which they claim Hamas was built. his headquarters…
US President Joe Biden argued that hospitals “must be protected” from fighting. “I have not been reluctant to express my concerns about what is happening. My hope and expectation is that there will be less drastic actions regarding hospitals and that we will continue to engage with the Israelis.” Biden said.
The European Union also criticized Hamas for using hospitals and civilians as “human shields”, with the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, also asking Israel for “maximum restraint in the selection of targets, to avoid human casualties”.
Source: DN
