Hamas is no longer the militant group whose invasion of Israel triggered the two-year war in Gaza, the Israeli military spokesperson said on Friday at the start of a ceasefire with the Palestinian militant group.
A truck transports an Israeli armoured personnel carrier (APC) near the Israel-Gaza border, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza went into effect, in Israel, October 10, 2025. Reuters/Shir Torem
Hamas is no longer the militant group whose invasion of Israel triggered the two-year war in Gaza, the Israeli military spokesperson said on Friday at the start of a ceasefire with the Palestinian militant group.
"Hamas is not the Hamas of two years ago. Hamas has been defeated every place we fought them," Brigadier General Effie Defrin, the military spokesperson, told reporters at a briefing.
He urged Palestinian residents of Gaza to avoid entering areas under control by the Israel Defense Forces in the enclave.
"I am calling from here on the residents of Gaza to avoid entering areas under IDF control. Keep to the agreement and ensure your safety," he said.
Thousands of displaced Palestinians began flocking towards their abandoned homes after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect on Friday and Israeli troops began pulling back from parts of Gaza.
Reporting by Howard Goller
A senior Hamas leader, Khaled Mechaal, said on Sunday that the Palestinian terrorist group would not give up its weapons and would reject any form of foreign control over the Gaza Strip, despite calls from the United States for its disarmament.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday in Washington, where they will discuss negotiations with Iran, Netanyahu's office said on Saturday.
Iran will strike U.S. bases in the Middle East if it is attacked by U.S. forces that have massed in the region, its foreign minister said on Saturday, insisting that this should not be seen as an attack on the countries hosting them.
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