The IDF has stated that Hamas has been militarily defeated in the Gaza Strip and is now functioning as a guerrilla organization. Israel claims that Hamas has undergone significant changes since October 7 and is now a different organization. According to The Times of Israel, there has been a significant decrease in the command structure, weaponry, and number of operatives of the group, with reports suggesting that at least fifty percent of its members have been eliminated.
Following his statement at the United Nations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Hamas must be removed and will not be involved in rebuilding Gaza. He promised to keep battling until there is complete success.
Netanyahu cautioned that if Hamas continues to rule, it will regather and repeatedly launch attacks on Israel. “Hamas must be removed.”
Netanyahu also informed the international organization that Israeli forces have eliminated 90% of Hamas’s rockets and have either killed or captured half of its fighters.
Israel has received global backlash for the humanitarian crisis resulting from its nearly year-long attack on the Hamas extremist group in Gaza.
The United Nations reports that the majority of Gaza’s inhabitants have been forced to leave their homes. Around 500,000 individuals, which is roughly half of the total population, are presently living in a specified humanitarian area that only encompasses less than 15% of the land and is deficient in basic infrastructure and services.
The dispute started when Gaza-based militants led by Hamas crossed into Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 individuals, predominantly civilians, and the abduction of 250 others, according to Israeli sources.
Over 41,000 Palestinians have lost their lives during the nearly one-year war. In recent days, the Israeli military has carried out attacks in the northern and central regions of Gaza, stating that their targets were Hamas fighters who were based in civilian locations.