Buildings are captured, militants are fleeing… What do we know about the seizure of Gaza institutions by the Israeli army

Strategic buildings believed to be captured, Hamas has lost control… Since Monday, the Israeli government and military say they have made significant progress in the ground battles waged in the Gaza Strip in response to the October 7 terrorist attacks. Here’s what we know.

Government buildings stated

This Tuesday, the Israeli army claims to have taken control of “the Hamas parliament, the government headquarters, the Hamas police headquarters and the Faculty of Engineering, which was used for the production and development of weapons” in Gaza City.

Social media images show Israeli soldiers unfurling the blue and white Israeli flag on the podium of the head of parliament, as well as soldiers posing in front of a wall that bears a badge that reads “Military Police Headquarters.”

The Palestinian parliament, which is supposed to meet in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank where the Palestinian Authority is based, lay dormant for years and was officially dissolved in 2018. actually depend on parallel authorities.

Hamas “infrastructure” exposed?

As of Monday, the Israeli military also said it had reached Al-Rantissi Hospital, located in the northern Gaza Strip. They suspect that Hamas militants used it as “infrastructure” after October 7. In addition, underneath the hospital, the military collected “evidence that suggests Hamas was holding hostages here,” such as a baby bottle or a piece of rope near a chair, Hamas army spokesman Daniel Hagari told the army while supporting the video. “This is currently under investigation, but we also have information that confirms this,” he continued.

In a video the spokesman showed to the press, the suspicious basement is empty and appears to have been hastily abandoned. It’s a “closed area from the rest of the hospital,” he said. “We see ventilation that was made improvised, and we see the infrastructure that was built here (toilet, shower, small kitchen) for the needs of terrorists,” he said. Weapons found at the site included “explosive belts, grenades, AK-47s, explosive devices, rocket launchers and other weapons,” he listed.

However, those claims were disputed on Tuesday by Gaza hospital director Mohammed Zarkout, who assured CNN that the basement served as a shelter for women and children and contained a pharmacy as well as some of the medical facility’s administrative offices. . He said the flooding that followed the downpours made them unusable. He also said that hospital staff were forced to leave the hospital by the Israeli army and that it did not house Hamas weapons or hostages.

Hamas militants on the run and in difficulty

Already on Monday, in a video message broadcast by several television channels, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant confirmed that Hamas had “lost control over the Gaza Strip,” assuring that its fighters were fleeing “to the south.” Civilians are “looting Hamas bases.” They no longer believe in the government (Hamas, editor’s note) in power in a small Palestinian territory, mercilessly bombarded by Israel and immersed in a catastrophic humanitarian situation.

Until October 7, Hamas had about 30,000 fighters in the Gaza Strip, divided into five regional brigades, 24 battalions and about 140 companies, according to Israeli military sources cited in several media outlets on Monday.

According to the same sources, Hamas battalions in the northern Gaza Strip have suffered “severe blows” in recent weeks, with many now struggling to mount attacks due to the deaths of their commanders.

Hamas criticizes ‘rigged’ victory

This afternoon, a senior Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip confirmed the takeover of the institutions but downplayed its extent. “The attack on parliament and whatever, the attack on government buildings, some of which have already been destroyed, is a desperate attempt to fabricate victory and create the illusion of control over places that are in every corner. Empty business,” replied Bassem Naim.

The evacuation of the northern Gaza Strip, where Gaza City is located and many areas of which are controlled by the Israeli army, continues. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have fled this part of the Gaza Strip, which has become a field of ruins, after Israel opened evacuation “corridors” in recent days.