Hamas military wing defeated, declares Israel one year on from horrific October 7 attack
Israel claims to have defeated the military wing of Hamas - a year after the terrorist group launched their attack on October 7
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Israel claims to have defeated the military wing of Hamas - a year after the terrorist group launched their attack on October 7.
Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi announced that Hamas had been destroyed, although Israeli forces in northern Gaza continue to target Hamas operations as the group attempts to regroup.
Lt Gen Halevi said: "A year has passed, and we have defeated the military wing of Hamas... We have dealt a severe blow to Hezbollah, which has lost all of its senior leadership. We are not stopping."
It follows comments by Yoav Gallant in September, Israel’s defence minister, who said Hamas "no longer exists" as an organised military force.
Israel claims to have defeated the military wing of Hamas
GettyLt Gen Halevi also vowed to demolish anyone who attacks Israel, in both Gaza and Lebanon.
"This is a long war, measured not only by capabilities but also by willpower and perseverance over time," he said.
"This is a war for our right to be a free people in our land".
"We are taking an offensive, tactical, and proactive approach on all fronts, adapting our defensive strategies on all borders, and understanding that the IDF must be a greater army that takes good care of its people," Lt Gen Halevi added.
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Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi announced that Hamas had been destroyed, although Israeli forces in northern Gaza continue to target Hamas operations as the group attempts to regroup
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"We are destroying our enemies' capabilities, and we will ensure that these capabilities are not rebuilt, so that October 7th is never repeated."
The October 7 attack saw the deaths of 1,205 people, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
A year later, the war has slightly shifted to focus north to Lebanon and Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The Israeli military reported that it has eliminated approximately 440 Hezbollah fighters "both on the ground and from the air" since Monday, when ground operations specifically targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon began.
Lt Gen Halevi also vowed to demolish anyone who attacks Israel, in both Gaza and Lebanon
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Israel's objective is to enable the return of tens of thousands of Israelis displaced by nearly a year of Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel.
President Isaac Herzog described Iran as a "persistent threat" after Tehran, which supports various armed groups in the Middle East, launched around 200 missiles at Israel on Tuesday in retaliation for the Israeli strikes on key militant leaders.
It came after Israel began their raids into Lebanon following days of intense strikes on Hezbollah strongholds.
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