One thousand Hamas terrorists have been killed and another 1,000 captured in Jabalia in northern Gaza over the past three weeks, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said on Friday.
Speaking during a situational assessment in the northern Gaza city, Halevi said it was a “significant achievement that deals Hamas a severe blow.”
The IDF launched a major operation in the city in early October following indications of a Hamas resurgence there.
Israel, said Halevi, was “sending Hamas a very clear message: The IDF does not tire. The more we fight, the stronger we become, gaining more experience, capabilities, professionalism, values and determination. We are progressing with great intensity.”
The IDF’s efforts in Gaza were sending a message to the entire Middle East, he continued.
“We are providing the residents near the northern Gaza border with greater security and creating conditions for this security to endure, to not to be fleeting,” he said. “Reaching an agreement is complex, but with the strength you are displaying here and the powerful way in which the IDF is fighting on seven fronts, in seven arenas, Israel is telling the entire Middle East there is immense strength here, and incredible capability,” he continued.
He reiterated the IDF’s support for the hostages still being held by Hamas, both military and civilian, stating, “[We are] prepared to fight with tremendous determination, as well as pay a price to bring them home.”
The military effort in Gaza was “not stopping or slowing down,” he said. “This is to bring back the hostages, to ensure security for the surrounding communities,” he concluded.
Hamas is still holding 101 of the hostages it kidnapped during the terror group’s Oct. 7, 2023 onslaught on the northwestern Negev.
Israeli forces eliminated tens of terrorists in Jabalia over the past 24 hours, the IDF said on Sunday morning, as well as dismantling terror infrastructure and a weapons storage facility. Weapons were also located in a tunnel shaft, according to the statement. Israeli forces also eliminated Hamas forces in Beit Lahia to the north of the city during the same period, as well in Rafah in southern Gaza.
כוחות אוגדה 162 ממשיכים לפעול במרחב ג’באליה. במהלך היממה האחרונה כוחות האוגדה חיסלו עשרות מחבלים והשמידו תשתיות טרור ומחסן אמצעי לחימה במרחב. כוחות צוות הקרב של חטיבת כפיר ממשיכים לפעול במרחב בית לאהיא וביממה האחרונה חיסלו מחבלים בסגירות מעגל מהאוויר ומהקרקע >> pic.twitter.com/cys0b7M2gl
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) November 10, 2024
IAF hits targets in Tyre, Baalbek
Meanwhile in Lebanon, the Israeli Air Force eliminated dozens of Hezbollah terrorists over the past 24 hours, striking dozens of targets, including in the Tyre and Baalbek areas, according to the IDF.
During a raid on a weapons storage facility on the outskirts of a village in Southern Lebanon, troops discovered a mobile missile launcher loaded with 24 rockets aimed at the Galilee, the IDF said on Saturday.
The launcher was hidden in dense bush and connected to a civilian structure, according to the military.
Hezbollah rockets triggered sirens in the Upper and Western Galilee areas on Sunday morning, with a direct hit destroying a dining hall in Tel Hai, which is part of the border kibbutz of Kfar Giladi. No injuries were reported in the latest barrage from Lebanon, with video showing extensive damage to the inside of the building from the rocket impact.
The IDF said that 10 rockets launched from Lebanon crossed into Israeli territory, with some of the projectiles intercepted and the rest falling in open areas.
חדר האוכל נחרב: פגיעה ישירה בתל חי במטח האחרון מלבנון | תיעוד@guyvaron
צילום: עמרי סבר pic.twitter.com/Fk31AsvoKI
— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) November 10, 2024
On Saturday, the Lebanese terrorist group launched over 70 projectiles into Israeli territory. No injuries were reported. A rocket impacted near a house in the evacuated border town of Metula, causing damage.
