Hamas' Army May Be Nearing Destruction, but Plenty of Hamas Terrorists Fight On

JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argues that the Israeli Defense Forces are destroying Hamas' ability to strike as an army. But many of the terrorists have escaped, and he acknowledges the IDF will have to keep chasing them down all over Gaza.

As Netanyahu puts it, “We are nearing the end of the elimination phase of Hamas’s terrorist army. There will be a continuation of hitting its remnants.”

Netanyahu added he expects to achieve the war's goals, “To return our hostages, to eliminate the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas, to ensure that Gaza does not pose a threat, and even more than that to return our residents both in the south and in the north safely to their homes.”

Had to Evacuate Six Times

The IDF has destroyed much of Khan Younis, a huge suburb of Rafah, in earlier pitched battles to wipe Hamas out there. But many of the surviving terrorists have recently fled from Rafah to Khan Younis. So the IDF is having to order the civilians there -- many who are already evacuees from other areas – to evacuate once again so they don't get mowed down in the renewed fighting.

One bedraggled and angry woman said as she fled with her family, "Here we are going to look for a place to evacuate to. I've been displaced six times from Rafah."

It appears the Biden administration continues to demand how the Israelis should conduct this war.  With so much of Gaza bombed and in ruins, it's thought many Palestinians living there might well be better off moving elsewhere. But the U.S. is telling Israel it must eventually let all Gazans settle back permanently in Gaza.

As State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel stated, "There can be no permanent displacement of Gazans."

What the Biden Administration Finds Unacceptable

And the Biden administration is saying the Israelis must make sure after the war there is an Arab-led civilian government set up in Gaza. Some in the Jewish nation think it can't really be safe from Gaza unless there's some form of Israeli occupation to make sure terrorists can't rise to power again there.

But U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken insists anything less than Arabs back in charge is one of three things unacceptable to the Biden administration.

He states, "We know that there are three things that are unacceptable for Gaza's future. An Israeli occupation, Hamas perpetuating its leadership, or chaos, anarchy, lawlessness - which is what we're seeing in big parts of Gaza today."

At the same time Blinken is dictating to Israel what is or is not acceptable, he also has harsh words for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and his refusal to say "yes" to a ceasefire that could bring hostages home and end the violent war.

Blinken explained, "Right now, in not saying yes, Mr. Sinwar is not only holding on to the Israeli, American and other hostages, he's continuing to make a hostage of Palestinian children, women, and men, who are caught in a horrific crossfire of Hamas' making."

War Between Israel and Hezbollah

Blinken also addressed the possibility of war between Israel and Hezbollah saying, “On the one hand, no one wants a war. On the other hand, you have forces, momentum that may be leading in that direction, in which we are determined to try to arrest. 

Blinken noted about the thousands of Israeli evacuees, "You have 60,000 or so Israelis out of their homes in northern Israel. Israel has essentially lost sovereignty in that part of the country because people don’t feel safe going to their homes.” 

Suing Iran, Syria & North Korea for $4,000,000,000

Victims who survived Hamas' brutal assault on Israel on October 7th are suing Iran, Syria, and North Korea for four billion dollars. They accuse those countries of giving Hamas the money, weapons, and other assistance that made the deadly October 7th attack possible.

Anti-Defamation League Director Jonathan Greenblatt announced the legal action, “This lawsuit on behalf of more than a hundred Americans who are affected by this attack will indeed ensure that there are consequences to be brought for the bloodiest day experienced by the Jewish people since the Holocaust.”

On another front, Prime Minister Netanyahu has publicly rejected the Palestinian Authority having a role in ruling Gaza after the war. Many Israelis feel the PA – just like Hamas – wants to see the Jewish nation destroyed and is fomenting that in Judea and Samaria, the so-called West Bank. But it appears Netanyahu may be softening a bit and ready to let lower-level PA workers take part in governing Gaza. Yet that would be only as long as they've been thoroughly vetted by Israel first.

Rescued Daughter at Mother's Side 

In sad news, Liora Argamani, the mother of Noa Argamani, passed away. Liora suffered from terminal brain cancer and had hoped to see her daughter Noa before she died. Hamas terrorists kidnapped Noa from the Nova Music Festival, and she spent eight months in captivity before being rescued by IDF special forces in a daring raid last month. The rescue allowed Noa to be with her mother during Liora's last days.