With terrorist fighters surrendering in large numbers for the second day in a row, the Israeli military believes that the Hamas’s rule is beginning to collapse in terror-infested Gaza.
According to IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Hamas is losing its grip on power after ruling the Palestinian enclave with an iron fist for more than 16 years.
The Times of Israel reported IDF Chief of Staff’s remarks on Sunday:
Hamas operatives have increasingly been surrendering to the IDF in other areas of Gaza amid the ongoing fighting, according to military officials.“I see the achievements every day. We are seeing every day more and more terror operatives killed, more and more terror operatives wounded, and in recent days we’re seeing terrorists surrendering — a sign of the disintegration of the system, a sign that we need to push harder,” said at a Hanukkah candle lighting in the south with Nahal Brigade troops.Later, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari confirmed many Hamas members surrendered Saturday to troops in Gaza, saying they revealed intelligence information on the terror group’s functioning amid the ground offensive.“In Shejaiya and Jabaliya, terrorists who surrendered handed over weapons and equipment,” he said, confirming the leaked video.“From the interrogations of the terrorists who surrendered, the following intelligence has emerged: The situation of the operatives on the ground is difficult, and the Hamas leadership, led by [Yahya] Sinwar, denies the reality even though it is updated on the details,” Hagari said.“The operatives complain that the Hamas leadership is out of touch with the tough situation they are in on the ground,” he added.
Over the weekend, the Israeli military is making further advances on the ground, with heavy fighting concentrated around the terrorist strongholds of Jabaliya (northern Gaza) and Khan Yunis (southern Gaza).
“Over the past day, IDF troops fired with precise munitions and struck underground tunnel shafts in Khan Yunis. In addition, a drone assisted IDF troops in identifying an armed terrorist cell that planned to attack additional IDF troops forces in the area. The terrorist cell was eliminated,” the Israeli military disclosed Sunday morning.
“Overnight, the IAF struck terror infrastructure in which terrorists operated and underground tunnel shafts in Khan and Overnight, the IAF struck terror infrastructure in which terrorists operated and underground tunnel shafts in Khan Yunis,” the IDF added.
Israeli ground troops are directing air strikes against Hamas targets and fortified terrorist infrastructure, including Gaza’s vast underground terror tunnel network being used to stage sneak attacks on IDF soldiers and for hoarding rockets and weaponry. “IDF hits 250 targets in past day, including tunnel shafts and terrorist squads,” the Israeli TV channel i24NEWS reported Sunday morning.
“IDF arrested dozens of arrests terrorists who surrendered in the Jabaliya region of Gaza, a second group that was published, following many who threw down their weapons instead of continuing to fight,” the TV channel noted.
As Israel’s ground offensive enters in sixth week, the IDF is finally bringing big guns to bear deep inside the terrorist-controlled territory.
“For the first time since the beginning of ground operations: The Artillery Corps is operating inside the Gaza Strip,” the IDF disclosed in a statement on Sunday afternoon. “During their operation, the Artillery Corps struck over 20 terrorist targets, including weapons storage facilities, booby-trapped houses, and terror infrastructure of the Hamas terrorist organization.”
Israel on Sunday morning launched air strikes against terror targets in southern Lebanon after Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah carried out more drone and missile attacks into Israel, injuring several IDF soldiers, the Israeli media reported.
Israeli air forces carried out “an extensive series of strikes on Hezbollah terror targets in Lebanese territory,” the IDF confirmed.
The Jerusalem Post reported:
Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had launched explosive drones at an Israeli command position on Sunday and Israeli strikes hit south Lebanon, as violence prompted by the war in Gaza rumbled on across the Israeli-Lebanese frontier.The IDF said “suspicious aerial targets” had crossed from Lebanon and two were intercepted. Two Israeli soldiers were moderately wounded and a number of others were lightly injured from shrapnel and smoke inhalation, it said.
The Lebanon-based terrorist group admitted carrying out attacks inside Israel. “Hezbollah said it had launched explosive drones at an Israeli command position on Sunday,” Reuters reported.
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