The Israeli army signalled that it has wrapped up major combat in northern Gaza, saying it has “completed the dismantling” of Hamas’s command structure there.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters that the terror group’s fighters are now only operating sporadically and “without commanders” in the area.

He added that Israel had killed around 8,000 Hamas fighters in northern Gaza, a figure which the Telegraph was unable to independently verify.

IDF troops are now focused on dismantling Hamas in south and central Gaza and strengthening defences along the Israel-Gaza border fence, Mr Hagari said.

In recent weeks, Israel had already been scaling back its military assault in northern Gaza and pressing its offensive in the territory’s south, where most of Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians are being squeezed into smaller areas amid a mounting humanitarian disaster.

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