12/31/2023 1:13 am (act. 12/31/2023 1:20 am)
Israel fights on “all fronts” ©APA/AFP
The Israeli army claims to have invaded the headquarters of the Islamic group Hamas in Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip. The terrorist organization's intelligence headquarters was also located there, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Sunday night. According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the war will last months. Israel is fighting on “all fronts,” he said in a televised speech.
Israel suspects that the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Jihia Sinwar, is hiding in the underground tunnels beneath Khan Younis. The armed forces are currently intensifying the fight against Hamas, focusing mainly on the southern coastal area and the central Gaza Strip.
In the north of the isolated coastal strip, the Israeli army claims to be in the process of exerting full control over the area. The operation there is currently focused on Hamas' last remaining stronghold in Gaza City, the Tufah district, explained army spokesman Hagari. On Saturday, the army also ended a large-scale attack on Hezbollah militia targets in Lebanon, on Israel's border with Lebanon, he said. Three “terrorist cells” were eliminated. The army will continue to attack Hezbollah military positions in southern Lebanon.
Netanyahu stated that Israel must control the borders with Egypt. “The Philadelphia Corridor – or rather, the southern tip of the Gaza Strip – must be in our hands.” The area must be closed. Any other regulation would not guarantee demilitarization.
Meanwhile, a hostage in the Gaza Strip was killed in an airstrike, according to a Palestinian terrorist group. The Israeli army had already tried to free the Israeli soldier, according to the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The attempt failed, it was said on Saturday.
In the worst massacre in Israel's history, on October 7, terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups murdered around 1,200 people and kidnapped around 240 others to the Gaza Strip. According to Israeli information, almost 130 hostages are still being held there. The BBC reported a month ago that at least five Palestinian armed organizations took part in the terrorist attack on Israel.