Israel says it ‘dismantled’ Hamas command structure in north Gaza; at least 7 killed in West Bank raid
Israel-Hamas war
The Israeli army, on Saturday (Jan 6) said that it had “completed the dismantling” of the Palestinian militant group Hamas’ command structure in northern Gaza. The statement was made as the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza will enterits fourth month on Sunday (Jan 7) amid heightened concerns aboutthe conflict spilling over in the region.
Separately, at least six people were killedduring an Israeli raid inthe occupied West Bank's Jenin, on early Sunday, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Hamas’ ‘command centre’ in northern Gaza
“We have completed the dismantling of the Hamas military framework in the northern Gaza Strip,” Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in an online briefing, adding that the Israeli forces killed around 8,000 militants in that area.
“We are now focused on dismantling Hamas in the centre of and south of the (Gaza) strip,” Hagari added. According to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) official, Palestinian militants will now be operating in the area only sporadically and “without commanders”.
“Fighting will continue during 2024. We are operating according to a plan to achieve the war’s goals, to dismantle Hamas in the north and south,” he added.
Israel launched retaliatory attacks against Hamas in Gaza after Palestinian militants from the strip attacked Israel on October 7 killing at least 1,200 people and taking around 240 hostages, according to Israeli officials. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas.
Meanwhile, at least 22,722 people have been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, amid Israel’s constant bombardment and ground operation in the Palestinian enclave, according to the Hamas-run Palestinian health ministry.
Speaking about the military efforts to dismantle Hamas in central and southern Gaza, Hagari, without elaborating said, “we will do it in a different way”.
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He also claimed that “refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip are crowded and full of terrorists”. Hagari added that Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, has an elaborate underground network of tunnels and “it will take time.”
Israel has garnered criticism from various countries amid the mounting death toll and deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The fighting has displaced most of Gaza’s 2.3 million population, with many homes and civilian infrastructure left in ruins amid acute shortages of food, water and medicine.
‘Eliminate Hamas’
Earlier on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country would continue its campaign to “eliminate Hamas, return our hostages and ensure that Gaza will no longer be a threat to Israel”.
He added, “The war must not be stopped until we achieve all of the goals.”
Netanyahu’s government continues to face mass protests anddemonstrators in the country, calling for the return of Israeli hostages in Gaza, the dissolution of the Israeli parliament and the holding of an early election, reported Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
At least sevenkilled in West Bank
ThePalestinian authority-run ministry of health in the West Bank said six people were killed after Israeli forces launched an air strike in Jenin. "An Israeli occupation bombardment on a group of citizens killed six people in Jenin," said the Palestinian health official.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces confirming the airstrike said that the aircraftfired on Palestinian militants who had attacked troops in the West Bank on Sunday (Jan 7).
An Israeli border police officer was killed and others wounded when their vehicle was hit by an explosive device during operations in the West Bank city of Jenin, said the Israeli police and military.
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This was afterPalestinian news agency Wafa, earlySunday reported that amajor deployment of Israeli forces was under way in Jenin.
Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, violence has alsointensified in the West Bank. At least327 Palestinians have been killed since Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel, according to thePalestinian Authority's ministry of health.
(With inputs from agencies)
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.