Israeli Military Says It Is Close to Controlling Gaza’s North

TEL AVIV—The Israeli military said it is approaching what it calls full operational control in the northern Gaza Strip and ordered tens of thousands of residents who have already been displaced to evacuate again, to another central area.

Israeli military analysts said Israel’s control over the north doesn’t mean the military has eliminated Hamas’s presence in the territory, but rather that Israel is curtailing militants’ ability to stage attacks. Contributing to Israel’s inability to solidify its hold over Gazan territory is Hamas’s deep tunnel network, which the group uses to carry out attacks on Israeli forces, analysts said. The military is now increasing its focus on tunnels, Israeli analysts said.