Click to see full-size image. (Israeli Defense Forces)
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on May 24 that it had struck 100 targets in the Gaza Strip over the past day in the framework of Operation Gideon’s Chariots, a large-scale offensive meant to defeat Hamas once and for all.
One of the targets was a launcher recently used to fire a rocket at southern Israel, the military said in a brief statement, adding that other targets included “terror operatives,” buildings used by “terror groups,” tunnels, and other infrastructure across Gaza.
Additionally, the IDF said that ground forces killed several fighters and destroyed booby-trapped buildings, tunnel infrastructure, anti-tank launch posts, and other sites used by “terror groups” in the Strip.
Meanwhile, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said that bodies of 79 people killed by Israeli strikes were brought to hospitals in the past 24 hours.
The dead included nine out of ten children to a doctor working in the Strip, according to the ministry. The dead children ranged in age from just seven months to 12 years old. Khalil Al-Dokran, a spokesperson for the ministry, told the Associated Press.
The IDF launched Operation Gideon’s Chariots last week after calling up tens of thousands of reservists. Currently, five divisions are operating in Gaza.
According to Israeli officials, the large-scale offensive would see the military “conquer” Gaza and retain the territory, attack Hamas, prevent the group from taking control of humanitarian aid supplies, and move Palestinians from the Strip’s north to its south.
Hamas has been resisting. Since the start of the offensive, at least two Israeli soldiers have been killed. However, the group is facing serious internal problems.
According to the London-based Al Sharq Al Awsat, Hamas is dealing with its worst financial crisis since its founding, with salaries for government employees and military wing members in Gaza directly impacted.
Hamas sources told the news outlet that four months ago, the group dispersed $250 to its civil workers in Gaza, encouraging bitterness among those who cannot provide for their families. The sources added that members of the al-Qassam brigades, Hamas’ military wing, have not been paid for around three months, while families of dead members of the group, prisoners, and wounded did not receive their usual salaries.
The sources also talked about an “administrative vacuum” in Gaza’s Hamas-run regime, with Israel’s continued targeting of any political figure from the group to carry out the work of the government.
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