Israeli army says dismantles Hamas' military framework in northern Gaza

JERUSALEM -- The Israeli army announced Saturday evening that it has dismantled the military framework of Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a press conference that in the north of the strip, Hamas had two military brigades with 12 battalions, "which had about 14,000 terrorists."

He added that "Hamas does not function in this region in an organized manner, and we have revoked the main terrorist capabilities in the area."

Hagari detailed the methods in which the Israeli army operated, including the elimination of commanders, ground combat, intelligence gathering, locating rockets and other means of warfare, and destroying the underground infrastructure.

He noted that the IDF located about 70 million intelligence files, including information on senior Hamas members in Gaza and beyond, along with computers, maps and radios.

The IDF spokesman affirmed that the fighting would take time and continue during 2024, adding that the army is now focusing on dismantling Hamas' operations in the center and south of the enclave.

"We will do it with a different method, in a comprehensive way and based on the lessons we have learned from the fighting so far," he noted.