Israel says Hamas 'on verge of' collapse, UN to vote on ceasefire

The Israeli Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, has stated that the battalions of the Palestinian group Hamas in northern Gaza are 'on the verge of being dismantled.' He mentioned that many Hamas members are surrendering, especially from their Jabaliya and Shejaiya battalions.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that hundreds of Hamas operatives have surrendered to Israeli troops in recent days. He said this development shows that the Palestinian group is “on the verge of being dismantled”.

“We have encircled the last strongholds of Hamas in Jabaliya and Shejaiya, the battalions that were considered invincible, that prepared for years to fight us, are on the verge of being dismantled,” Gallant was quoted by Israeli media.

The United Nations General Assembly has scheduled an emergency meeting on Tuesday (New York local time) to vote on a draft resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza. The meeting was requested by the 22-member Arab Group and 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation, according to the letter by the Assembly President Dennis Francis.

The draft resolution to be voted on Tuesday afternoon is similar to the Security Council resolution the United States vetoed on Friday.

Israel has announced that they are opening a second crossing to inspect cargo entering the Gaza Strip, which would increase the amount of humanitarian aid for the besieged territory. Israeli security officials said the Kerem Shalom crossing would open Tuesday for inspections of Gaza-bound goods. Currently, Israel’s Nitzana crossing is the only inspection point in operation.

Hundreds more civilians in Gaza have died in Israel's air raid and ground assault since the US on Friday vetoed a Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire, new agency Reuters reported. According to the Gaza Health Ministry officials, more than 18,200 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7.