Before the fall: Israeli troops surround last Hamas strongholds in the north of the Gaza Strip

War in the Middle East - Before the fall: Israeli troops surround last Hamas strongholds in the north of the Gaza Strip

More and more Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip are laying down their arms - a clear sign for the Israeli security forces that the Islamist organization's fighting spirit is breaking. "We are exerting great pressure. I think that they are surrendering and coming out with their hands up shows that their fighting spirit is broken. This accelerates our successes, after all we want to move forward quickly," said Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi on Monday at a meeting with the head of the domestic intelligence service Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, in the Hamas stronghold of Chan Junis.

Israeli Defense Minister Joav Gallant declared that the last Hamas strongholds in the northern Gaza Strip were about to fall. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden pledged his continued support for Israel.

The Israeli armed forces are engaged in a fierce urban battle with Hamas units in the second largest city in the Gaza Strip. They suspect that the leadership of the Islamist organization and the hostages remaining in the Gaza Strip are in Khan Yunis. According to Israeli sources, more and more Hamas fighters have surrendered in recent days. In addition, according to National Security Advisor Zachi Hanegbi, around 7,000 Hamas terrorists have been killed so far.

The Gaza war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history, carried out by Hamas terrorists and other groups on October 7 in Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip. More than 1200 people were killed in the unprecedented attacks. Israel responded with massive air strikes and, since the end of October, a ground offensive in the area. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, around 18,000 people have now been killed and more than 49,200 injured.

Biden pledges further support for Israel

US President Joe Biden assured Israel of further support in the fight against Hamas terrorists. "As I said after the attack (on October 7), my commitment to the security of the Jewish people (...) is unwavering," said Biden on Monday evening at a reception for the Jewish Hanukkah festival at the White House in Washington. The USA would support Israel until the country got rid of Hamas. According to the White House, Biden emphasized that the USA was working tirelessly for the safe return of the hostages. "And I will not stop until we have brought every one of them home." He said he was also working to get more "humanitarian aid to innocent Palestinian civilians".

Minister: last Hamas strongholds in northern Gaza Strip about to fall

The last two strongholds of the Islamist Hamas in the northern part of the Gaza Strip are surrounded by Israeli units, according to the Israeli Defense Minister. The Hamas command centers in the districts of Jabalia and Shejaiya are surrounded and are on the verge of collapse, Joav Gallant told Israeli media on Monday evening. "The battalions, which were considered invincible and have been preparing for years to fight us, are on the verge of being crushed," he added.

Israel captures over 500 Islamist fighters in one month

According to its own information, the Israeli military captured over 500 members of Islamist terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip last month. According to the army command, 350 of them belonged to Hamas, which ruled the Gaza Strip before the war, and 120 to Islamic Jihad, which is allied with Hamas. The military defense and the domestic intelligence service Shin Bet would subject the prisoners to further interrogations.

Israeli army: Over 100 soldiers killed during ground offensive in Gaza

According to the Israeli armed forces, 104 soldiers have been killed since the start of the ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. Five military personnel were killed in a battle in the southern village of Chan Junis alone on Sunday. They fell victim to an IED as they were advancing against a Hamas terror cell. A total of 432 Israeli soldiers were killed in the Gaza war. This figure includes the military casualties caused by the massacre by the Islamist Hamas at the beginning of the war. The army's casualty figures also include soldiers who died in battles with the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon on Israel's northern border as well as victims of accidents during operations.

Israel opens another border crossing for Gaza aid shipments

Israel opens another border crossing for the transportation of aid supplies to reach the suffering civilian population in the Gaza Strip. Trucks carrying goods for Gaza will also be able to use the Kerem Shalom border crossing in future, the Israeli Cogat authority responsible for contacts with the Palestinians and the military announced on Monday evening. However, as with the previously used Nitzana crossing, the trucks will not drive directly into the Gaza Strip. Instead, they will head for the Rafah crossing via Egypt. Israel inspects the trucks at its border crossings to prevent weapons from being smuggled in. Water, food, tents and medical supplies can be brought into Gaza.

Like a world war: EU representative calls situation in Gaza apocalyptic

EU foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell described the situation in the Gaza Strip as apocalyptic. The destruction of buildings by the Israeli attacks was equivalent to that in German cities during the Second World War or even greater, the Spaniard said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. 60 to 70 percent of those killed were civilians. The number of civilian victims was unbelievable, he criticized. In the evening, Borrell also spoke of 1.9 million people who had to leave their homes. This corresponds to 85 percent of the population in the Gaza Strip.

What will be important on Tuesday

Following the failure of a ceasefire resolution for the Gaza war in the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly will discuss a similar draft on Tuesday. The resolution text introduced by Egypt calls for a humanitarian ceasefire, among other things. Adoption is considered very likely. However, resolutions of the UN General Assembly are not binding, but merely symbolic.