Israel’s Military Operations in Gaza

Israel’s military has reported significant progress in its operations in Gaza, stating that around 14,000 combatants have been either killed or captured since the conflict began over nine months ago.

The Israeli military announced on social media that it had successfully eliminated approximately half of Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades’ leadership. This included the deaths of 20 battalion commanders and 150 company commanders.

During the course of the conflict, Israel targeted 37,000 locations in Gaza from the air, focusing on more than 25,000 sites identified as terrorist infrastructure and launch sites.

While Israel has provided periodic updates on the progress of the conflict, concrete numbers regarding the overall toll have been limited. Previous statements indicated that over 14,000 of Hamas’s estimated 25,000 fighters had been neutralized. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned in an interview that about 13,000 “terrorists” had been eliminated.

In the most recent report, the military did not provide detailed information on the 14,000 individuals labeled as terrorists who were reported to have been killed or captured up to late June. When questioned, a military spokesperson did not offer further specifics on the breakdown of those apprehended versus killed, nor did they clarify the methodology used to distinguish combatants from civilians.