Most of the tunnel system in the Gaza Strip remains intact despite heavy Israeli airstrikes, ground operations and incessant shelling.
Thousands of Hamas fighters are still fighting Israeli forces on the surface and underground, the official said. He said there are still at least 5,000 Hamas fighters active in northern Gaza.
Yet Israeli War Minister Yoav Galant claimed two months ago that Hamas had been defeated in northern Gaza and Israeli forces had taken control there.
Meanwhile, Israeli War Minister Galant and another minister, Benny Gantejar, are reportedly at odds over the date of launching a ground operation in Rafah, the southernmost town of Gaza, on the border with Egypt.
Israeli forces have maintained a presence in almost the entire Gaza Strip, but have yet to enter Rafah, the southernmost city in the Strip. Millions of Palestinians have taken refuge in the city of Rafah to save their lives during the Israeli offensive in northern and central Gaza over the past four and a half months.
As a result, more than half of the total population of Gaza, about 1.5 million residents, are staying in Rafah city, most of whom have taken refuge in tents.
In this situation, the main accomplice of Tel Aviv’s genocide has warned Israel to carry out a ground operation in the city of Rafah
