How Israeli forces are gearing up against Hamas

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have killed dozens of Hamas commanders as troops advance deeper into the battered territory, with some fighting in “the heart of Gaza City”. However, there were doubts over the importance of the dead commanders within Hamas, and analysts said there was no obvious sign that the organisation had yet been significantly weakened. Israeli leaders swore to crush Hamas after the extremist Islamist organisation launched terrorist attacks from Gaza into southern Israel, killing 1,400 people in their homes and at a dance party on 7 October. Most of those who died were civilians, and including many young children and older people. Since then, an Israeli ground and air offensive has wrought massive destruction across Gaza, displacing at least 1.3 million people and killing 10,569 – including 4,324 children and 2,823 women.