(Nov. 10, 2024 / JNS) One thousand Hamas terrorists have been killed and another thousand captured in Jabalia in northern Gaza over the past three weeks, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said on Friday.

Speaking during a situational assessment in the northern Gaza city, Halevi said it was a “significant achievement that deals Hamas a severe blow.”

The IDF launched a major operation in the city in early October, following indications of a Hamas resurgence there.

Israel, said Halevi, was “sending Hamas a very clear message: The IDF does not tire. The more we fight, the stronger we become, gaining more experience, capabilities, professionalism, values and determination. We are progressing with great intensity.”

The IDF’s efforts in Gaza were sending a message to the entire Middle East, he continued.

“We are providing the residents near the northern Gaza border with greater security and creating conditions for this security to endure, to not to be fleeting,” Halevi said. “Reaching an agreement is complex, but with the strength you are displaying here and the powerful way in which the IDF is fighting on seven fronts, in seven arenas, Israel is telling the entire Middle East there is immense strength here, and incredible capability.”

He reiterated the IDF’s support for the hostages being held by Hamas, both military and civilian, saying, “[We are] prepared to fight with tremendous determination, as well as pay a price to bring them home.”

The military effort in Gaza was “not stopping or slowing down,” he said. “This is to bring back the hostages, to ensure security for the surrounding communities,” he said.

Hamas is still holding 101 hostages, including 97 it kidnapped during the terror group’s Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught on the northwestern Negev.

Israeli forces killed dozens of terrorists in Jabalia over the past 24 hours, the IDF said on Sunday morning, as well as dismantling terror infrastructure and a weapons storage facility. Weapons were also located in a tunnel shaft, according to the statement. Israeli forces also eliminated Hamas forces in Beit Lahia to the north of the city during the same period, as well in Rafah in southern Gaza.