 "Gaza War: In first admission of massive losses, Hamas says 6,000 fighters killed by Israel")
Six thousand versus 235, is the latest casualty figure for Hamas and Israel Defense Forces (IDF), respectively, as has been confirmed by the two sides, discounting unverified claims.
The war between Hamas and Israel shows no signs of abating as the latter said it will keep pushing the envelope for another 6-8 weeks in its bid to demolish Rafah, the southernmost city of Gaza and the last bastion of the terror organisation, before scaling ops down to targeted strikes.
A Hamas official based in Qatar told Reuters that the group estimated it had lost 6,000 fighters during the four-month-old conflict, half the 12,000 Israel says it has killed.
Gaza’s ruling group can keep fighting and is prepared for a long war in Rafah and Gaza, said the official, who requested anonymity.
“Netanyahu’s options are difficult and ours are too. He can occupy Gaza but Hamas is still standing and fighting. He hasn’t achieved his goals to kill the Hamas leadership or annihilate Hamas,” he added.
Hamas sparked the war on Oct. 7 last year when its fighters burst out of the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages. Israel since then has unleashed a reign of incessant attacks and ground invasion in the Strip. According to Hamas claims, over 28,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict so far.
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View AllIsraeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, however, said that IDF were planning operations in Rafah targeting Hamas fighters, command centres and tunnels, though gave no timeline for the campaign. He stressed that “extraordinary measures” were being taken to avoid civilian casualties.
“There were 24 regional battalions in Gaza – we have dismantled 18 of them,” he told a media briefing. “Now, Rafah is the next Hamas centre of gravity.”
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