Israeli Troops Fighting “In the Heart” of Gaza City, Hamas Leader Surrounded in a Bunker
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued a Tuesday battlefield update announcing that for the first time, Israeli troops are “in the heart” of Gaza City. He then said, that “Gaza is the largest terrorist base ever built” and further, “We are going to destroy Hamas.”
The defence chief also appeared to reject US pressure to implement a humanitarian “pause”. Gallant emphasized, “there will be no humanitarian truce without the return of the hostages.” He further said the IDF now has Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar surrounded in a bunker. He noted that fighting is happening in residential areas.
A new speech by Prime Minister Netanyahu affirmed the same, and again put Hezbollah in Lebanon on notice: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the IDF has been reaching deeper into Gaza than Hamas ever imagined, warning Lebanon’s Hezbollah that it would be making the “greatest mistake of its life” if it opens a new full-on war front. Speaking from the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu says he is addressing the nation in order to update them on the war. “In the south, the war is moving forward with force that Hamas has never seen,” he says. “Gaza City is surrounded. We are operating within it, we are deepening the pressure on Hamas every hour, every day.”
“There will be no entry of fuel into Gaza or a ceasefire without the return of the kidnapped people,” he also said.
A Sky News correspondent in southern Israel has remarked this will be the most “complex urban fighting environment that any soldier will have to deal with”. Soldiers on the ground inside Gaza City could make any airstrikes “potentially be more accurate” – the correspondent noted.
Hamas has meanwhile continued claiming to have taken out multiple Israeli tanks and military vehicles:
⚡️Hamas publishes footage of their troops clashing with Israeli forces invading northwest of Beit Lahia and destroying a number of vehicles pic.twitter.com/GkfP5AKfTx
— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) November 7, 2023
Massive overnight explosions have been observed in South Lebanon as Israel attacks Hezbollah positions, responding to ongoing fire…
⚡️South Lebanon tonight pic.twitter.com/8YOfpQsRO1
— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) November 7, 2023
