Over three-quarters of Hamas battalions destroyed, says Israeli prime minister

Israeli troops have destroyed 19 of Hamas’s 24 battalions, according to remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. The leader’s review of Israeli forces’ successes came on the six-month anniversary of his country’s war against the group’s terrorists located in the Gaza Strip. In his remarks, Netanyahu said the Israel Defense Forces had cleared out command centers used by Hamas, such as Shifa Hospital, and that they had also eliminated several key Hamas commanders.

What else did he say? Netanyahu blamed Hamas for the lack of a cease-fire agreement. No cease-fire agreement would take place without the release of all hostages in the region, he said. The IDF said over the weekend that one hostage, Elad Katzir, had died and that Israeli troops had recovered his body from Khan Younis. A total of 133 hostages still remain in Gaza, according to the IDF.

What’s going on in the war right now? Israeli forces were departing from the Southern Gaza city of Khan Younis on Sunday, according to a statement by Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant. He explained that Hamas had ceased to function as a military organization in the city. Despite the withdrawal of ground troops, Israel on Monday was still striking some locations in the city by air, according to a report from the IDF.

Dig deeper: Read William Inboden’s column in WORLD Opinions about whether the United States is abandoning Israel.