A recent classified briefing at the Southern Command has shed light on the toll of the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. Of the estimated 17,000 Hamas terrorists killed since the beginning of the war, the identities of 10,000 have been conclusively confirmed, according to information obtained by Israel Hayom. The revelation comes as the war enters its eleventh month.
The confirmed killings – split between Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad members – represent a significant achievement in wartime identification efforts, which are notoriously challenging.
Pre-war estimates suggested there were about 30,000 Hamas terrorists in Gaza, alongside thousands more affiliated with the PIJ. The IDF believes it has eliminated at least 17,000 of these operatives, with the potential for a higher count.Military officials view the 10,000 confirmed identifications as a notable accomplishment, given the difficulties in verification during ongoing hostilities. Even in cases of airstrikes targeting multiple operatives, confirmation of identities can take weeks or months, despite clear evidence of their involvement in terror activities. The delay is largely due to the extensive measures terror groups take to conceal their operations and their members' roles.
Israel Hayom has also uncovered that a recent internal IDF investigation revealed at least three UNRWA employees – killed in an IDF strike near the former Al-Jauni school in Nuseirat refugee camp – were conclusively identified as terror operatives.
The revelation follows criticism of Israel last week for allegedly targeting aid workers. The IDF had initially stated that some of the six individuals killed were involved in terror activities. The latest findings confirm that at least three were active operatives, not "uninvolved civilians," as initially claimed by critics.
