Captured Hamas Terrorists Say Group Is ‘Collapsing From Within,’ Says Israel’s Defense Minister

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday said Hamas terrorists captured by troops said “the group is collapsing from within” as Israel steps up its military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

“In the last week or two, hundreds of terrorists have been captured and what they say about what happened to them tells the whole story. They say that Hamas is collapsing from within, the price they are paying is very heavy,” Gallant said, The Times of Israel reported.

“We’re going to eliminate everyone who was involved in the events of October 7, the junior [officials], the senior ones and the very senior ones; those who were inside [Israel] or who gave instructions,” he said, referring to the date of Palestinian terror group Hamas’s massive attack on Israel that started the ongoing conflict.

The Israel Defense Forces said over the weekend that its troops seized a cache of weapons concealed in the maternity ward of Shifa Hospital, where a raid on the facility to target Hamas terrorists was entering its third week. Weapons found included mortars, explosive devices, sniper rifles, assault rifles, handguns and other military equipment hidden inside patient pillows and beds, according to the IDF.

Over the weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that troops would invade the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. The promise comes amid concerns from the Biden administration about Israeli military operations and the mounting civilian casualties.

Netanyahu, 74, said he had approved the IDF’s “operational plan” for Rafah, saying the force was “prepared for the evacuation of the civilian population and for the provision of humanitarian assistance.”