Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sunday that Hamas' external leadership is seeking a replacement for its Gaza leader, Yahya Sinwar, who has been incommunicado for weeks amid the war.
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During a situation assessment at the Southern Command, Gallant said that Hamas was shopping around to determine who would control the Gaza Strip, as “Hamas' Gaza operation is unresponsive, without local leadership for dialogue, prompting external leaders to seek a new internal head."
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Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during Sunday's situation assessment at Southern Command
(Photo: Defense Ministry)
Gallant added that in a major blow to Hamas' military capability, 200 terrorists surrendered at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, with additional dozens surrendering at Amal Hospital in the same area. He stated that these surrenders indicate a significant loss of morale among Hamas operatives.
Gallant further declared "the Khan Younis Brigade has been defeated and is not functioning as a military entity in any way. Hamas is left with marginal forces in the central camps and the Rafah Brigade, and what stands between them and complete collapse as a military system is an IDF decision." According to the defense chief, only six Hamas battalions remain in the central camps and Rafah.
“There's no one coming to their aid - no Iranians, no international assistance. What is demonstrated here is determination, perseverance and the Israeli military and national systems," he said.