Israel Defense Forces soldiers were pictured posing inside Gaza’s parliament building. The photo comes as the Israeli defense minister boasted that Hamas has lost control of the region.
Photos posted on social media showed soldiers from the elite Golani Brigade posing in Gaza’s parliament building on Monday and flying several Israeli flags. The building has only served Hamas lawmakers since the group took power in 2007.
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The image is a significant propaganda victory for the IDF, showcasing their progress since the beginning of the ground invasion of the tiny Gaza Strip, where they have dealt with brutal house-to-house fighting.
The parliament building itself is located in Remal, considered the most prosperous neighborhood in Gaza, which is situated along the coast. It’s roughly two miles from Gaza’s city center.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant gave a triumphant assessment of operations within the Gaza Strip around the same time as the picture was taken, declaring that Hamas has lost control of the region.
“There is no force of Hamas capable of stopping the IDF. The IDF is advancing to every point. The Hamas organization has lost control of Gaza. Terrorists are fleeing south. Civilians are looting Hamas bases. They have no confidence in the government,” he said.
IDF forces are advancing “according to plans and carry out the tasks accurately, lethally,” he continued, adding that it has “intensified” operations against Hamas’s extensive tunnel network in recent days.
The IDF gave its most detailed breakdown of the state of Hamas’s forces on Monday as well, estimating that the effectiveness of 10 out of 24 of the terror group’s brigades had been broken, according to the Jerusalem Post.
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It further claimed that targeted killings of top Hamas commanders had caused coordination to break down, disrupting a more synchronized plan to ambush IDF forces within Gaza City. The number of prewar fighters was given as roughly 30,000, though it’s unknown how many of those are left.
Despite the progress, several top IDF sources told the outlet that Hamas is far from “breaking.”
