Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday appealed to the members of Palestinian militant group, Hamas not to sacrifice their lives for the group’s chief in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar and also called upon the militant group to surrender to Israeli troops.
Benjamín Netanyahu expressed the remarks after Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said that there were signs that Hamas was collapsing, according to a statement by Times of Israel.
A senior officer of the IDF also said on Sunday that the military has recognized “signs of Hamas breaking” in the Gaza Strip amid its continued offensive, the statement added.
“In the past few days, dozens of Hamas terrorists have surrendered before our forces. They put down their weapons and turn themselves over to our brave fighters,” stated the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu in a video report.
It will take extra time, the war is still in full force, but this is the start of the end of Hamas,” he said, adding “I say to the terrorists of Hamas: It’s over. Don’t die for Sinwar. Surrender now.”
“The extent of the destruction and damage creates command and control problems. There are areas in the Gaza Strip that Hamas no longer controls militarily,” the officer stated.
The officer, however, said that they were “not close” to the end of the fighting.
“We continue to operate with great intensity, and work to dismantle entire battalions of Hamas,” he said, adding that about half of the 24 Hamas battalion commanders-in-chief have been eliminated in airstrikes and other operations.
