Israel declares control of western Gaza City

The Israeli military says it has taken control of western Gaza City and is moving into the next phase of its campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

"We have secured and secured the western Gaza City area, and are moving to the next phase of the operation," Israeli news agency Ynet quoted Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as saying on November 16. "The further we advance, the more pressure Hamas will be under. This will increase the chances of the hostages being returned."

Mr Gallant added that "the Israeli military discovered a large amount of supplies during the operation at al-Shifa hospital", but declined to give specifics.

The same day, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Commander Herzi Halevi visited soldiers operating in the Gaza Strip. Mr. Halevi declared that the IDF "has come quite close to destroying the Hamas military system in the northern Gaza Strip" and will continue to hunt down and eliminate Hamas members.

Hamas has not commented on the information.

Israel Defense Forces Commander Herzi Halevi in the Gaza Strip on November 16. Photo: IDF

Israel stepped up its offensive in the Gaza Strip in late October in response to a Hamas raid on October 7. Israeli soldiers then announced that they had "divided Gaza in two," surrounded and advanced on Gaza City, the region's largest city. The IDF announced on November 14 that it had seized several Hamas government buildings, including the Hamas legislature, government complex, and police headquarters.

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said Israel had recently continued to strike Hamas underground infrastructure and suggested the force was trying to conceal the damage.

On November 16, Iran's Quds Force commander Esmail Ghaani sent a letter to Hamas's armed wing commander Mohammed Deif, declaring that Iran and its allies "will fulfill all their obligations in this historic battle" and will not allow Israel to achieve its goal of destroying Hamas. However, Ghaani did not mention whether Tehran would join the war to support Hamas.

The Israel-Hamas war has left more than 12,600 people dead and more than 34,000 injured as of November 16. Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza, with a population of about 2.3 million, is deteriorating, as water, essential food and fuel become scarce.

The situation in the northern Gaza Strip as of November 15. Graphic: War Mapper

Israel - Hamas war developments

Nhu Tam (According to Times of Israel, Reuters )

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