News outlets reported a significant development: supporters of the Palestinian group Hamas have surrendered under pressure from Israeli authorities, according to a briefing from Daniel Hagari, the spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces. This update was carried by TASS and has been noted by several international outlets as part of ongoing coverage of humanitarian and security concerns in the region.
In Hagari’s briefing, the Israeli army noted that more than 200 individuals were detained in the preceding 48 hours as part of an ongoing security operation. The spokesman stressed that a number of those detained were linked to Hamas’s combat units, and that many of the suspects would be routed through Israel’s security and intelligence apparatus for further investigation and processing. He also mentioned involvement by other radical groups, including units associated with more extreme factions within the broader militant landscape present in the area, underscoring the scale of the counterterrorism efforts underway and the challenges faced by security services in distinguishing combatants from civilians in a densely populated theatre of operations.
The briefing comes as the international community monitors the evolving situation in Gaza and the surrounding region, where military operations and political actions intersect with urgent humanitarian concerns. In related diplomatic developments, Reuters reported that United States President Joe Biden has asked Congress to approve the sale of roughly 45,000 armor-piercing rounds for Israeli Merkava tanks. The purpose of these rounds, according to U.S. officials, is to support a sustained Israeli military operation in Gaza, with Washington arguing that the additional ammunition is necessary to ensure the effectiveness of the ongoing campaign and to maintain the security posture in the area for allied forces and civilian protection objectives alike.
In a separate public statement, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant indicated that after a brief ceasefire, the plan is to maintain a focused approach in Gaza. He suggested that the operation would continue for an extended period, estimating a timeline that spans several weeks to months depending on the evolving security situation on the ground, counterterrorism milestones, and the humanitarian conditions in the affected areas. Officials emphasized that military objectives remain tied to reducing threats to Israeli civilians while attempting to minimize civilian harm, though the path forward in such a volatile environment remains complex and fluid.