Hamas is "disintegrating from within," Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told IDF soldiers during a Sunday visit to the 98th Paratroopers Division's military base in central Israel.
"Over the past few weeks, hundreds of terrorists have been arrested, and what they tell us helps paint the full picture," the defense minister said.
"They're saying Hamas is disintegrating from within, the price they pay is very steep.
"The terrorists themselves are saying they can no longer take this toll," Gallant told the troops following a security assessment with the division's commanding officer, Dan Goldfus.
Israel will continue to target 'anyone who took part in October 7'
Gallant further told troops that the IDF would continue to seek out and kill anyone involved in the October 7 attacks on Israel. "The junior and senior officials, everyone who was either on the ground or giving orders from afar," he said.
Earlier on Sunday, IDF soldiers supported by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) attacked a Palestinian Islamic Jihad operational headquarters located in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza.
The attack came as Israeli forces were continuing operations in Shifa Hospital and across the Gaza Strip, ahead of a planned invasion into the southern city of Rafah, which the IDF believed could be vital to achieving victory over Hamas.