IDF spokesperson says over 100 Hamas operatives killed in Khan Younis area today

In an evening press conference, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says troops have killed more than 100 Hamas operatives in the west Khan Younis area today, during intensive battles.

“Troops on the ground are continuing their mission with determination,” Hagari says, a day after a blast killed 21 soldiers, the deadliest single incident for the IDF amid its ground operation in Gaza.

“Our forces are continuing a wide offensive on west Khan Younis, one of the major Hamas strongholds. This is a complex area, densely populated, and many Hamas terrorists are hiding in the area, including in sensitive sites, trying to surprise our forces,” he says.

“The forces are fighting courageously, with a variety of methods… and with close air and intelligence support,” Hagari says.

He says the troops are destroying Hamas infrastructure, including tunnels, and have killed more than 100 gunmen in the area today.

Asked about yesterday’s incident, in which a Hamas cell managed to launch RPGs at troops operating just 600 meters from the border, Hagari says, “There are still isolated terror cells close to the border.”

“There are IDF forces that continue to attack these squads in order to create the conditions for the return of the residents,” he says.

Hagari warns that small Hamas cells “will continue to accompany us and it will be necessary to constantly go back and deepen the achievement.”