Israeli military has ‘full control’ of area surrounding Gaza, official says

Israel’s military has “full control” of the area surrounding Gaza, the country’s Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Tuesday.

Hagari said the military has been conducting air strikes in Gaza every four hours for the past 36 hours “using every piece of intelligence to maximize damage to meeting spots for terrorists planning to invade Israel, houses belonging to senior Hamas commanders, terrorist operational centers and headquarters and terrorist infrastructure.”

According to Hagari, the Israeli military has “full control of the area surrounding Gaza.”

Israeli forces are creating an “iron wall” of tanks, helicopters and additional aircrafts. Anyone who approaches the wall “will be neutralized,” Hagari said.

The Israeli military evacuated towns surrounding Gaza, but there are families who have chosen to stay, he said.

Israel’s main strike Monday targeted the Rimal neighborhood in Gaza, an area Hagari said is a symbol of luxury and has great significance to Hamas leaders.

“Hundreds of Hamas terrorist organization operatives have been neutralized during these strikes,” Hagari said. “Hamas terrorists will find no shelter in Gaza, we will find them wherever they are.”

Israel declared war on the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Saturday after Hamas sent a barrage of rocket strikes and entered the country in a surprise attack. Since then, Israel has hammered the Gaza Strip, reducing buildings to rubble.

The Israeli military said Tuesday that more than 1,000 people have been killed in Israel. In Gaza and the West Bank, 830 people have been killed. Hagari said there are “hundreds of bodies of naturalized terrorists” and some Hamas terrorists have been taken and arrested.