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Over 12,000 armed radicals killed in Gaza since October 7 — government spokesman

It is reported that four battalions are still operating in Rafah

TEL AVIV, February 12. /TASS/. More than 12,000 armed radicals have been killed by Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip following Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023, Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy said.

"Three-fourths of Hamas battalions have been exterminated, more than 12,000 terrorists have been killed. Taking into account those wounded and detained, half of Hamas’ troops have been disabled," he said. "Hamas started this war with 24 battalions, 18 of them have been eliminated, two more are about to be eliminated in Khan Yunis (a city in the southern Gaza Strip - TASS). Four battalions are still operating in Rafah (a city in the southern Gaza Strip near the border with Egypt - TASS)."

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 after militants from the Gaza Strip-based radical Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise incursion on Israeli territory, killing many Israeli kibbutz residents living near the Gaza border and abducting more than 240 Israelis, including women, children and the elderly. Hamas described its attack as a response to Israeli authorities’ aggressive actions against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and launched bombardments of the enclave and some areas in Lebanon and Syria, as well as a ground operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Clashes are also reported in the West Bank.