IDF Col. Hezi Nachman said Hamas was returning to power in northern Gaza, along with hundreds of thousands of people who had been driven out. However, he laments that this is the case, saying that the Israeli military is not doing enough to stop it.
“Today there are between 300,000 and 500,000 people in northern Gaza, the IDF does not have enough troops to operate there effectively, Hamas is returning to power there, gunmen are roaming the streets, and life in Gaza is returning to its old routine, while the residents of Be’eri and Netiv The Ha’Asar cannot go home. The IDF is doing its best, but they were wrong because they thought there were only 100-150,000 residents left in northern Gaza,” he said.
Nachman is the former head of an important brigade that operated in Gaza. He points out that they have called on the Palestinians not to return to the north until the hostages are exchanged and Hamas is completely destroyed.
He said that he was initially instructed to evacuate the area, which is why he continues his efforts to dissuade Palestinians from returning to the north.
“It is impossible to distinguish Hamas terrorists from the general public. That is why we demand the evacuation of all of northern Gaza. We cannot allow the market in Jabalya to look the way it does,” he said.
