Israeli says troops ‘in the heart of Gaza city’, targeting Hamas’ vast network of tunnels | 10 points

The Israeli military troops are “in the heart of the Gaza city” and targeting Hamas’ web of tunnels, Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Tuesday, as the nation marked one month since brutal 7 October terror attack. He said that troops of Israel Defence Forces (IDF) stormed the Hamas targets in the Gaza city in “full coordination between land, air and sea forces”. Israel is in the second phase of its war against Hamas and its forces are on the ground fighting street battles with militants hiding inside tunnels underneath hospitals, schools and other civilians infrastructure.

Israel declared a war against Hamas in response to the Palestinian militant outfit’s brutal October 7 attack in which more than 1,400 people, mostly non-combatant civilians, were killed. The militants had also captured at least 239 people, including women, children and foreign nationals, after the attack on southern Israel.

Below are the 10 points on Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip

1. More than 10,300 people have been killed in Gaza, including more than 4,100 children since the Israeli retaliatory strikes began, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. In Israel, more than 1,400 people were killed, and at least 239 people have been taken hostage by Hamas.
2. As Israel’s coordinated ground, air and sea assault continues in the Gaza Strip, Isareli Defence Minister says, Israeli troops are now operating “in the heart of the Gaza city.
3. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also released a statement, informing about the Israeli military’s ongoing operation in the Gaza Strip. “In the south, the war is moving forward with force that Hamas has never seen,” Netanyahu said. “Gaza City is surrounded. We are operating within it, we are deepening the pressure on Hamas every hour, every day.”
4. Israeli troops are now inside the tunnels that Hamas has been using to hide its militants. They are believed to be using explosives to destroy the vast network of Hamas tunnels.
5. Netanyahu said that thousands of Hamas militants have been eliminated by Israeli troops, both aboveground and in a vast network of tunnels, during their ongoing ground assault. Among the killed militants are many of those who planned and carried out the slaughter of October 7.
6. Israeli Defence Forces are in continues contact with troops operating inside the Gaza city and sharing intelligence about Hamas targets above the ground and under the tunnels.
7. The IDF has also confirmed one more soldier was killed in action while fighting Hamas militants in the Gaza City. So far, 31 soldiers have died during the ground assault in the Gaza strip.
8. Meanwhile, Netanyahu has once again warned Hezbollah of unprecedented consequences if it dared to enter the battle. If Hezbollah enters the war, Netanyahu repeated, “it will be making the greatest mistake of its life.” Netanyahu also called on the people of Gaza to “please go south” using evacuation routes of the IDF.
9. In other updates, the White House has said that it will object Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip after the war ends. The US said that while Israeli is a “friend”, it doesn’t mean it will have to agree with it on all issues.
10. Netanyahu on Monday said that Israel would take “overall security responsibility” for Gaza after the war. However, a member of his war cabinet later clarified the comments and said that Israel would not reoccupy or govern the area.