Israeli forces have killed or wounded 60% of Hamas' combatants since the war in Gaza began on Oct. 7, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the Knesset in Jerusalem, Gallant also revealed that the IDF had broken up a majority of the Al-Qassam Brigades' 24 battalions entrenched across the coastal enclave. (The Al-Qassam Brigades is Hamas's so-called "military" wing.)

"The action of the IDF that has so far led to the elimination of over 14,000 terrorists and the collapse of the military frameworks of Hamas is, in fact, the testimony of what I am saying—everything will be done in accordance with the law and in accordance with the operational need," Gallant said.

Israel's air force began pounding Hamas targets immediately after the terrorist group led the bloody invasion of the northwestern Negev on Oct. 7, killing, wounding and kidnapping thousands, while committing widespread atrocities. IDF ground troops entered Gaza on Oct. 27 and are continuing operational activities across the territory.

The goals as set forth by the War Cabinet at the start of the war and which remain in place are to dismantle Hamas as a military and governing entity in Gaza, return the hostages and ensure that Gaza can never again threaten Israel.

During his remarks to the Knesset members, Gallant stressed the importance of maintaining international legitimacy as a "basic condition" for continuing military operations in Gaza and preventing a humanitarian crisis there.

He cited the recent decision to restore electricity to one of Gaza's desalination plants as an example of Israel's humanitarian efforts.

"We allowed the electricity connection to the desalination plant only. Water pollution and as a result the potential for disease outbreaks will endanger our forces, the execution of the missions and the abductees," Gallant said.

An Israeli soldier was killed on Tuesday during combat against Palestinian terrorists in the central Gaza Strip, the military announced on Wednesday morning.

The soldier was identified as Sgt. First Class Tal Lahat, 21, of the Maglan commando unit, from Kfar Saba.

The death toll among Israeli troops since the start of the Gaza ground incursion on Oct. 27 now stands at 325, and at 681 on all fronts since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre, according to official military data.

Additionally, Ch. Insp. Arnon Zamora, a member of the Border Police's Yamam National Counter-Terrorism Unit, was fatally wounded last month during a mission to rescue four hostages, and civilian defense contractor Liron Yitzhak was mortally wounded in May.

Meanwhile, the IDF is continuing to press its offensive against Hamas in Gaza City and across the coastal enclave.

The military said on Wednesday that troops had raided the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City's upscale Rimal neighborhood, which it said Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives were using as a base to conduct attacks on Israeli soldiers in the central Strip.

"After a defined corridor was opened to facilitate the evacuation of civilians from the area, IDF troops conducted a targeted raid on the structure, eliminated terrorists in close-quarters combat, and located large amounts of weapons in the area," the army said.

Israeli forces also remain active in Gaza City's Shejaiya neighborhood, over the past day killing dozens of terrorists and dismantling underground tunnel routes.

Troops are also conducting counterterror operations in Gaza City's Tel al-Hawa neighborhood, which began overnight Sunday based on intelligence indicating that Hamas and Islamic Jihad are attempting to regroup there. Israeli forces killed dozens of terrorists and found many weapons.

Israeli forces also continue to clear the Rafah area of Hamas fighters, over the past day killing many terrorists, locating weapons and dismantling terrorists infrastructure in the area.

Since the start of the operation in Rafah in early May, Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 terrorists during battles in the last Hamas stronghold, according to data compiled by the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University.

The Israeli military also remains active in central Gaza, with the Israeli Air Force striking several Hamas terrorists who took part in the underground tunnels and anti-tank missile units.

Republished with permission from Jewish News Syndicate