Israel has killed 10,000 Hamas operational personnel in Gaza since the war began, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Thursday. The minister made his remarks in a video posted on social media. He said in the video that the IDF had dismantled the Hamas brigade in Khan Younis, a city on Gaza’s border with Egypt that has been packed with displaced civilians since Israeli forces launched a ground attack there last week. “We are achieving our missions in Khan Younis, and we will also reach Rafah and eliminate terror elements that threaten us,” Gallant said. “Terrorism should not be allowed to use hospitals, schools, and mosques as shelters,” he added. The IDF has surrounded the city of Khan Younis as it advances toward Rafah, where half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million is sheltering in makeshift tents and public buildings.
The IDF says its air and ground operations in Khan Younis are aimed at Hamas outposts, infrastructure, command and control centers. The military says it requires precise operations because of the densely populated city.
Israeli airstrikes have destroyed nearly a dozen medical facilities in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The ministry said the attacks have also damaged medical equipment and disrupted access to vital supplies. The ministry has reported more than 100 attacks on healthcare facilities since the war started on October 7, when a Hamas terrorist assault on a string of communities in southern Israel killed more than 1,300 people.
More than a million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes by the ongoing bombardment. UN humanitarian agencies are urging both sides to allow safe passage for civilians.
At least 66,139 people have been wounded in Gaza since the conflict started on October 7. The death toll has passed 250,000. Some bodies are still trapped under rubble, the health ministry in Gaza says. Rescue teams lack heavy machinery to lift the debris and retrieve them, a ministry spokesperson told CNN.
As the conflict has raged, the international community has pressured Israel to do more to minimize civilian casualties and to accept a ceasefire agreement. But the two sides have primarily dismissed calls for a pause in hostilities.
In a statement, the Norwegian government says it has suspended its cooperation with the IDF until the war ends and is stepping up efforts to find a solution for all the parties involved. The Norwegian government also says it will increase its humanitarian assistance to Gaza by allowing two daily fuel trucks into the territory. It says it will also increase its support for telecommunications services in Gaza, essential for restoring everyday life in the enclave. It also says it will support the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine to help address a looming food crisis. The UN says the food crisis could result in losing up to 40,000 lives if not resolved quickly. The agency has reported that about three-quarters of all hospitals in Gaza are running out of food and medicine.
