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The Israeli army Tuesday said its troops have entered the “heart of Gaza” and trapped Hamas’ senior most leader there in an underground bunker.
Yahya Sinwar, 61 — dubbed Israel’s most wanted and called a “dead man walking” by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin — orchestrated the terror group’s Oct. 7 massacre in Israel that killed more than 1,400 people, mainly civilians, Israeli officials have said.
“[Israel Defense Forces] … came from the north and the south. They stormed it in full coordination between land, air and sea forces,” said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, referring to the ground invasion, on Tuesday.
“They are maneuvering on foot, armored vehicles and tanks, along with military engineers from all directions, and they have one target — Hamas terrorists,” he said.
The Israeli official said Sinwa is now isolated inside a bunker, with IDF soldiers determined to destroy it along with any infrastructure operated by the terrorists.
“They are tightening the noose around Gaza City,” Gallant boasted of Israeli forces.
Netanyahu touted the IDF’s latest advancement, saying his forces have been decimating Hamas.
Israeli soldiers have killed “thousands of terrorists above and beneath the ground” in the Gaza Strip as the IDF invades Hamas’ 300-mile-long underground tunnel labryinth, the PM boasted in a prime-time address Tuesday.
“In the south, the war in the Strip is progressing with a force that Hamas has never known,” Netanyahu said. “Since the beginning of the ground maneuver, we have destroyed countless Hamas headquarters, tunnels, bases and facilities.
“We are reaching places that Hamas never thought we would reach.”
He said Gaza City was now effectively “surrounded” and that the IDF is “deepening the pressure on Hamas every hour, every day,” the Times of Israel reported.
The tunnels are said to also run under Gaza City’s largest medical center, the Al Shifa Hospital, where Israel accused Hamas of harboring several underground hubs used by Hamas’ leadership.
While Hamas has not commented on Sinwar’s situation, the terrorists claimed they were also killing and wounding advancing IDF soldiers.
Neither Israel’s claims nor Hamas’ could be independently verified as the war reaches a new stage deep within Gaza, where more than 2 million Palestinians reside.
Israel has vowed to wipe out the terrorists after Hamas launched its killer surprise assault.
Since waging war, Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes have killed more than 10,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, Hamas-linked health officials have said.
Despite the loss of life and uncertainty over the status of the hostages taken by Hamas, Netanyahu said “Operation Swords of Iron” will carry on until Hamas is gone.
“Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,” he said. “I say with certainty: Out of the darkness and pain we will come out stronger, more just and more united.
“Together, we will fight and, with God’s help, together we will win.”
With Post wires
