Israel Defense Minister Says Hamas’ Battalions in Khan Younis Defeated

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced on Sunday that the battalions of Hamas in Khan Younis have been dismantled, with an impending offensive in Rafah expected in the near future.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are still in pursuit of crucial figures from Hamas, including Gaza Leader Yahya Sinwar and the military leaders Mohammad Deif and his deputy Marwan Issa. Despite this, reports indicate that Sinwar has not been in communication with Hamas’s leadership outside of Gaza since the end of January, casting doubt on his participation in ongoing negotiations involving hostages.

“Hamas-Gaza is MIA, there is no one to talk to among leadership on the ground,” Gallant said in the collapse of Hamas in Gaza.

In Khan Younis, according to Gallant, approximately 200 individuals suspected of terrorism surrendered to forces at Nasser Hospital, with additional surrenders occurring at Al-Amal Hospital. Gallant interpreted these events as indicative of Hamas losing its “fighting spirit.”

“People armed with RPGs, weapons, and guns came to the moment of truth and did not fight. This indicates something of their understanding of the power differential, that they understood their fate was to surrender or die — there is no third option,” Gallant stated.

Gallant said Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade had been “defeated and does not function as a military entity in any way.”

Gallant pledged that the military would proceed to dismantle the six remaining Hamas battalions—two located in central Gaza and four in Rafah.

In anticipation of an Israeli offensive in Rafah, Egypt is reportedly implementing precautionary measures. Although officially denied, four sources informed Reuters that Cairo is preparing a region near the Gaza border to host a potential surge of Palestinians seeking refuge from the conflict. This preparation for the possible displacement of Palestinians into Sinai, seen as a contingency plan, represents a scenario that Egypt and other Arab nations, such as Jordan, have previously considered unacceptable.

The measures taken by Egypt indicate readiness for a potential crisis. Security sources have outlined the creation of essential amenities in a desert region intended for possible temporary refuge for refugees fleeing Rafah, where over one million people are currently residing.

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