Gaza Conflict: Hamas network destroyed in Khan Yunis, claims Israel

Israel announced on Friday that it had eliminated Hamas commanders in Khan Yunis, a region in southern Gaza that is thought to be an Islamist stronghold, through targeted bombings and intelligence operations. The army said in a statement that it had destroyed access to dozens of tunnels utilised by the Islamist organisation and killed a sizable number of Hamas members in closed-space battle. According to a statement, Israeli forces stepped up their operations in Khan Younis this week, strengthening their artillery to launch a pinpoint attack on hundreds of targets with the assistance of intelligence. According to the army, the bombs killed leaders of Hamas’ elite divisions, including Nukhba, which is in charge of drone operations. Among other weapons, it claimed to have discovered a loaded mortar pointed towards Israel and a bazooka ready for action in southern Gaza. The army also discovered documents from Hamas, one of which showed that more over $1 million had been paid to buy doors and cement, purportedly for tunnel construction. The necessity of hitting Hamas targets deliberately and minimising civilian casualties has been emphasised time and time again by the United States, Israel’s closest ally. In response to the Hamas offensive on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths and about 240 hostages, the Israeli military has murdered nearly 20,000 Gazans. The Israeli offensive, which started in October in the northern part of Gaza, has now spread to Khan Younis in the southern part of the territory, where Tel Aviv authorities think Hamas commander Yahya Sinwar is hiding. Israel has charged Hamas on multiple occasions with attacking its forces and storing weapons in schools and hospitals, as well as employing citizens as human shields. Leaders of Hamas have denied the assertion. On Wednesday, a Hamas delegation visited Cairo to talk about the possibility of a truce that would allow hostages and prisoners to be released and exchanged. However, Hamas has rejected any agreement that does not involve a long-term ceasefire, therefore talks have come to a stalemate.