Israeli Army Commander: We Have Destroyed Over 10,000 Terrorists

The Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, General Herzl Halevi, stated that the Israeli army's victories in the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip have exceeded expectations at this stage, but these achievements are still not sufficient to complete the military campaign's objectives in Gaza. According to the Times of Israel, Halevi said at a press conference near the Gaza border, 'We have been fighting for about four months, and there is still a long way to go.' He noted that the nature of the war is changing, describing it as having a 'difficult and painful beginning' and that Israel 'paid a heavy price' at the start, but 'we came to our senses and launched a quality and powerful attack. We will continue it until we complete the war's objectives.' He mentioned that in recent decades, there has been no army that has maneuvered in an urban and densely populated area with tall buildings and underground tunnels. He stated that Israeli soldiers are operating with 'great success' in this environment and that the military achievements are 'extraordinary.' Halevi added that in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, 'we are reaching places that the enemy did not expect us to reach and we are destroying all of Hamas's strategic assets in a city that was considered the capital of this organization's terrorism.' He claimed that so far, 'we have destroyed over 10,000 terrorists, including many commanders. This is what dismantling Hamas means.' Regarding the remaining objectives of the war with Hamas, he said Israel must target Hamas's senior leadership and 'kill more enemy commanders and their operatives, return the residents [of Israeli border areas] safely to their homes, and bring all hostages home.' Various country officials have complained about the high casualties reported from Israeli operations in Gaza. Israel asserts that Hamas hides among civilians and that the statistics provided by Hamas's health ministry do not differentiate between militants and civilians. The continuation of destabilizing actions by the Islamic Republic in the region; the IRGC launched missiles 'from a vessel.' Examining ways to end the Gaza war and free hostages; Biden and King Abdullah met in Washington.