The Israeli military estimates there are up to 3,000 Hamas militants in Gaza City, which comprises less than one percent of the local population.
“We are expecting to see in combat between 2,000 and 3,000 Hamas terrorists in Gaza City,” a military official said in a briefing as Israel moves to what the official described as the “main phase” of its occupation of the enclave’s largest urban center.
The official did not mention any mechanism to prevent those 3,000 Hamas militants from joining the throngs of Palestinians evacuating south along the coastal road.
The official said that Gaza City has long been a hub for Hamas even before the October 7, 2023 attack, and that Israeli soldiers and reservists are “on the ground” there.
Two military divisions are currently in Gaza City, the official said, and a third is meant to join “in the coming days.”
Some context: Gaza City was home to around a million people before Israel’s latest offensive began. The military says 40 percent of the residents have left. Masses of Palestinians have evacuated south out of Gaza City, but CNN cannot independently verify the military’s figure.
