On Sunday, Israel’s Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant stated that the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Khan Yunis in Gaza was carried out once Hamas “ceased to exist as a military framework in the city” and that “our forces left the area in order to prepare for their future missions, including their mission in Rafah.”

The comments came when he held a situation assessment at the IDF’s (Israel Defence Forces) Southern Command together with the Director General of the Ministry of Defence, Head of the Southern Command and additional senior officials.

Minister Gallant was briefed on the IDF’s operational activities in the areas of Khan Yunis and Shifa, as well as operational preparations for the destruction of Hamas’ Rafah Brigade, “an achievement, which will finalize the dismantling of Hamas as a military authority in Gaza,” said his office.

He called the IDF’s achievements “extremely impressive,” saying that it has “eliminated terrorists and destroyed terror targets including warehouses, weapons, headquarters, communication centers and more.

“Their activities enabled the dismantling of Hamas as a functioning military unit in this area,” he added.

“Our forces are going to prepare for their follow-up missions. We saw examples of such missions in Shifaa, and [will see] such missions in the Rafah area. We will reach a point when Hamas no longer controls the Gaza Strip and does not function as a military framework that poses a threat to the citizens of the State of Israel.”