Conflicts & War

Israel says it destroyed 100 rocket launchers in northern Gaza

Jerusalem, Jan 16 (EFE).- The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it had destroyed 100 Hamas rocket launchers in Beit Lahia in the north of the Gaza Strip in the past few hours.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that during the troops’ activity in the Beit Lahia area, they spotted approximately 100 rocket launchers and 60 ready-to-use rockets.

The IDF said that “dozens” of Hamas militias were killed in the operation.

It added that in a coordinated operation between ground and air troops around the Shati refugee camp, also in the north, an aircraft and a combat helicopter were used to kill nine “terrorists.”

On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced that the “intensive phase” of the war had concluded in the north of the Gaza Strip.

From now on, the troops will focus on specific operations to destroy Hamas installations or against localized targets in the area, the minister added.

He also promised that “soon” the war would also decrease in intensity in Khan Yunis in the south of the enclave.

Much of the fighting is now concentrated in the area, with the objective of finding Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohamed Deif, who are believed to be hiding in the underground tunnels of the city.

In Khan Yunis, a number of aircraft were directed to eliminate “terrorists” identified in the area and a helicopter ordered to attack an observation device that endangered troops, the IDF said.

Amid a decrease in the intensity of the fighting in the north, the IDF also announced on Monday that it was withdrawing one of the four divisions from the Gaza Strip that had participated in the ground offensive.

The division will return to training after a period of rest, it added.

The decision is compatible with Israel’s strategy of maintaining a low-intensity but long-term war.

The fighting is likely to continue throughout 2024 until Israel manages to “dismantle Hamas and bring back all the hostages.”

On Monday, Hamas released a video announcing the deaths of two hostages in captivity, Yossi Sharabi, 53, and Itay Svirsky, 38, and even showed what appeared to be their bodies.

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari accused Hamas of using social media as an instrument of war.

“Hamas is waging psychological warfare to terrorize and torment. This is a new benchmark in the barbarity established by Hamas,” he said, reacting to the new video.

Although the IDF said it had not been able to verify their deaths, it did admit to being “very concerned” about their condition and conveyed this to their families.

There are 136 hostages left inside the Strip, of which about 25 are estimated to be dead. EFE

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