Israeli forces have killed or wounded 60% of Hamas combatants in Gaza, according to Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

Gallant also revealed that the IDF had dismantled a majority of the Al-Qassam Brigades’ 24 battalions in Gaza’s coastal enclave. The Al-Qassam Brigades is Hamas’s military wing.

Speaking at the Knesset last Wednesday, Gallant said “the action of the IDF that has so far led to the elimination of over 14,000 terrorists and the collapse of the military frameworks of Hamas”.

Israel’s military operation on the ground in Gaza began on Oct 27, following Hamas’s terror attacks on October 7. The War Cabinet’s goals, set forth at the start of the war, are to dismantle Hamas as a military and governing entity in Gaza, so that the events of October 7 cannot be repeated. These goals remain in place today.

In his speech, the defence minister also confirmed that as military operations in Gaza continue, “everything will be done in accordance with the law and in accordance with the operational need”. Maintaining international legitimacy is a “basic condition” for continuing military operations in Gaza, he said.

This comes after another Israeli soldier was killed in Gaza on Tuesday, raising the total military deaths to 681 since October 27. The soldier was identified as Tal Lahat, 21, from Kfar Saba.

Israeli forces are continuing their offensive against Hamas in Gaza City and across the coastal enclave.