Gantz: Hamas has been defeated militarily but we’ll fight against remnants for years to come

While Israeli soldiers will continue to fight in the Gaza Strip for years to come, Hamas has been defeated militarily, war cabinet minister Benny Gantz states, following a faction meeting of his National Unity party in the southern city of Sderot.

“Fighting against Hamas will take time. Boys who are now in middle school will still fight in the Gaza Strip, like in Judea and Samaria and against Lebanon,” the former IDF chief of staff declares.

However, “from a military point of view – Hamas is defeated. Its fighters are eliminated or in hiding” and its capabilities “crippled,” he continues, stating that “victory will come step by step” and that Israel “will not stop. We will enter Rafah. We will return to Khan Younis. And we will operate in Gaza. Wherever there are terrorist targets – the IDF will be there.”

Gantz’s comments come after the Israel Defense Forces withdrew all of its maneuvering ground forces from the Gaza Strip early Sunday morning, leaving just one brigade to secure a corridor splitting the Palestinian enclave.

Hamas’ military defeat must be accompanied by its replacement as the ruling body in the Gaza Strip and the strengthening of Israel’s regional position in the Middle East, Gantz continues, stating that “the most urgent moral and national need is to return our hostages.”

“Besides military pressure, political pressure is also of utmost importance. I also discussed this with senior officials in the US and in the region – now is the time to use all the levers on Hamas,” he says, praising Israel’s negotiating team for “making tremendous efforts.”

Source » timesofisrael.com