The Israeli army has said that Hamas has "lost control" of the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

Source:  Daniel Hagari, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) representative

Details: Hagari said that Gazans are increasingly heading to the south of the enclave. He claims that 50,000 people have left the Gaza City area.

Quote from Hagari: "The people of Gaza understand that Hamas has lost control of the north of the Gaza Strip and it is more safe and secure in the south and there they can have water, food and medicine."

Previously: The IDF reported that they had completely encircled the city of Gaza and bisected the coastal enclave.

Background:

• On 31 October, the IDF reported that they had started fighting with Hamas in the underground tunnels of the Gaza Strip.

• On 2 November, the IDF said their ground forces and tanks had clashed with Hamas terrorist cells in the northern Gaza Strip at night, resulting in dozens of militants being killed.

• Reports also indicated that the IDF's engineering units had launched a large-scale operation to destroy Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip, which the IDF has taken over; over 100 tunnels have been ruined so far.

• Later, the IDF stated that they were already operating inside Gaza City and surrounding it from several sides.

• Earlier, a senior member of Hamas, Ghazi Hamad, welcomed the large-scale attack on Israel on 7 October, during which civilians were massacred, and promised that the Palestinian terrorist group would repeat such attacks many times in the future until it destroys Israel.