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Source: https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sy87h7n9zl#autoplay
IDF Continues to Dismantle Hamas's Command Structure and Tunnel Network in Gaza
(Ynet News) Elisha Ben Kimon - Three years into the war in Gaza, the IDF is deepening its operational pressure and control. Gaza Division commander Brig.-Gen. Liron Batito explained that Israel's defensive concept along the Gaza border has undergone a fundamental change. "We control 63% of the territory....The defense is now forward-based - the [Israeli] communities are behind us." "We carry out a great many operations to strip [Hamas] of capabilities, strike operatives, seize weapons and, perhaps most importantly, preserve operational freedom of action. In addition, we are drilling throughout the entire Strip to map and locate underground infrastructure....We continue to drill every few meters, go deep and use technological means." "When you look objectively at three years of fighting, we have eliminated all the heads of the military wing - all the brigade commanders and most of the battalion commanders. Just in the past week, we eliminated two brigade commanders - the Rafah Brigade commander and the Khan Yunis Brigade commander - and they are already the second and third generation of commanders to be eliminated." In September alone, 70 terrorists were killed, including three brigade commanders, two battalion commanders and nine company commanders. Among those killed were 17 who were involved in the Oct. 7 raid into Israel, abducting civilians, and holding hostages captive. The IDF said "the series of eliminations is the result of prolonged intelligence and operational work that matured into several opportunities within a short period of time. Some of the operatives and commanders hide in tunnels and blend into densely populated areas, and therefore prolonged surveillance is sometimes required to achieve a high degree of certainty regarding their identity and location, and to create the conditions that allow for a precise strike while minimizing harm to uninvolved civilians."