Israeli officials to NYT: 'Thousands of more Hamas terrorists in northern Gaza'

• Published date: 22 April 2024
• Author: JERUSALEM POST STAFF
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

US officials have said that it is likely that Hamas will not be completely destroyed by military activity. Still, the pace of rebuilding its strength depends on the next steps that Israel will take after the fighting

The Times report, however, states that most Hamas battalions have been "degraded and are scattered" with thousands of terrorists from the Islamist group having been killed, but notes that Israel has not achieved what it states are its two main objectives in the war: destroying Hamas and freeing the hostages.

Eventual Rafah fight

Both the IDF and Hamas are bracing themselves for Israel's eventual incursion into Rafah, which holds "Hamas's last stronghold that Israel has not invaded," the report said. The IDF believes that eliminating the terror organization's remaining battalions there requires a ground incursion. Israeli security experts state another goal would be to destroy tunnels between Gaza and Egypt that supply Hamas with weapons, the Times reported.

Current and former US...