Israeli army claims to have stormed Hamas headquarters

War in the Middle East - Israeli army claims to have stormed Hamas headquarters

Almost three months after the start of the Gaza war, Israel's army is continuing its intensified attacks in the heavily bombed coastal strip and is reporting successes. The troops have now stormed the headquarters of the Islamist Hamas in Chan Junis in the south of the Gaza Strip, announced Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari on Saturday evening. The terrorist organization's secret service headquarters was also located there.

More than 8,000 terrorists had already been "eliminated" in Gaza, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu according to a statement from his office. This information could not be verified independently.

Israeli army: battle in the north against last Hamas stronghold

According to its own statements, the armed forces are currently concentrating primarily on the south of the coastal area with the city of Chan Junis as well as on the central Gaza Strip. Israel suspects that the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Jihia Sinwar, is hiding in the underground tunnels beneath Khan Yunis. "We are intensifying the fight against Hamas," said Netanyahu. Meanwhile, in the north, Israel's army says it is in the process of taking full control of the area. According to army spokesman Hagari, the focus there is now on the last remaining Hamas stronghold in the city of Gaza, the Tufah district.

Destruction on an enormous scale

Israel's weeks of bombardment have caused enormous destruction in the sealed-off coastal strip, which is barely larger than the city of Munich. As the "Wall Street Journal" reported on Saturday, citing the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Israel's army had dropped 29,000 bombs by mid-December alone. Almost 70 percent of the 439,000 houses and apartments had been damaged or destroyed. The industrial zone in the north has also been almost completely destroyed, according to an analysis by the World Bank.

"The word "Gaza" will go down in history like Dresden and other famous cities that were bombed," the newspaper quoted Robert Pape, a political scientist at the University of Chicago. In view of the catastrophic humanitarian situation and the high number of civilian casualties, Israel has recently come under increasing international criticism. But the government remains firm. "Hamas will be defeated", said Netanyahu, quoting the words of the army's Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi: "The war will continue for many more months".

Israel's head of government refuses to resign

After a year in office, however, Netanyahu is also under strong domestic pressure. There is mistrust of the head of government among his own people. According to polls, the majority of Israelis want him to resign after the end of the Gaza war at the latest. However, Netanyahu refused to resign on Saturday. "The only thing I will resign from is Hamas. That's what I'm dealing with," he told the Times of Israel.

Many people accuse the Israeli head of government of not having acknowledged any personal responsibility for the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7. With 1,200 dead, it was the worst massacre in Israel's history. Around 240 people were deported to Gaza. According to Israeli information, almost 130 hostages are still being held there.

In response to the attack, Israel's military launched massive air strikes and a ground offensive. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority in Gaza, 21,672 people have been killed so far. No distinction is made between civilians and fighters. The number cannot be independently verified.

Palestinian terrorist group: Hostage killed in air strike

According to a Palestinian terrorist organization, one of the hostages still being held in Gaza was killed in an airstrike. Israel's army had previously tried to free the Israeli soldier, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) said on Saturday. The attempt had failed. The information could not be independently verified. Israel's army would not comment.

Another exchange of fire on Israel's border with Lebanon

Meanwhile, the army also ended a large-scale attack on targets of the Hezbollah militia on Israel's northern border with Lebanon on Saturday, according to the spokesperson. Three "terrorist cells were eliminated". The army will also continue to attack Hezbollah military positions in southern Lebanon.

"The southern region of Lebanon will not return to what it once was," Hagari continued. Several rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel on Saturday. 80 percent of the rockets fired by Hezbollah had fallen on Lebanese territory. This could not be independently verified either.

Since the beginning of the Gaza war, there have been repeated confrontations between Israel's army and Hezbollah on the border. There have been deaths and injuries on both sides. It is the most serious escalation since the second Lebanon war in 2006. Hezbollah has links to Hamas in Gaza, but is considered to be more powerful. It is also considered the most important non-state ally of Israel's arch-enemy Iran.

Israel hopes for Germany's help

Israeli opposition politician Benny Gantz asked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) for support in keeping the Hezbollah militia away from Israel's border. "The State of Israel cannot accept such a threat and Germany, together with the international community, must play an important role in ensuring that this threat is eliminated," Gantz wrote on the X platform (formerly Twitter) on Saturday.

Another rocket attack by the Houthis

Meanwhile, Israel's most important ally in the south of the Red Sea has once again intercepted two missiles from the Yemen-based Huthi rebels, according to its own statements. The US Navy had responded to a call for help from a Danish container ship that had previously been hit by a missile, the responsible regional command announced on X on Sunday morning. However, the ship was reportedly seaworthy and no injuries were reported.

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, the Houthis have repeatedly attacked ships in the Red Sea, one of the most important shipping routes for world trade. They also attack Israel directly with rockets.

What will be important on Sunday

The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip remains catastrophic. Nevertheless, Israel's army continues to intensify its attacks in the area.

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1. The intense conflicts in the Middle East have led to a prolonged war in the Gaza Strip, causing massive destruction in the coastal area and raising international criticism towards Israel.
2. The Israeli army, under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is continuing its offensive against Hamas, with an emphasis on the southern part of the Gaza Strip, where the organization's leader is believed to be hiding.
3. The Israel-Palestinian conflict has resulted in more than 8,000 terrorists being "eliminated" in the Gaza Strip, according to Netanyahu, though this figure is not independently verifiable.
4. The United States Office of the Director of National Intelligence reported that Israel had dropped 29,000 bombs in Gaza by mid-December, leading to the damage or destruction of almost 70% of the housing and infrastructure in the coastal strip.
5. Robert Pape, a political scientist at the University of Chicago, compared the devastation in Gaza to that of other bombed cities like Dresden, raising concerns about the catastrophic humanitarian situation and high number of civilian casualties.
6. The deployment of military forces and continued bombing campaigns have been met with resistance from civil societies and international organizations, calling for an end to the violence and respect for human rights.
7. In response to criticism, Israeli officials maintain that Hamas is responsible for the ongoing hostilities and that their campaign is aimed at dismantling the terrorist organization's infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.
8. The conflict between Israel and Hamas has spilled over borders, with Israeli army engaging in a large-scale attack on militant Hezbollah targets on the Lebanese frontier.
9. Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz, seeking international support, called upon German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to help maintain peace and prevent further escalation of Israel's ongoing battles against its regional adversaries.

Source: www.stern.de