There are significant growing signs of Hamas control over Gaza already starting to falter, IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari said on Wednesday, six days into the war started by its invasion of Israel's South and five days into overwhelming Israeli counter-airstrikes
Hagari stopped far short of saying it had completely lost control, recognizing that the terror group continues to fire rockets into Israel in significant numbers and continues to initiate small-size attacks on land and by sea.
However, he said that Hamas' high command is much more cut off from those decisions now and that more attacks are being carried out by isolated sub-commanders on the ground who are not necessarily part of a coordinated strategy.
For example, Hagari said Hamas is no longer aware in real time which of its commanders are alive or dead and has a delay in replacing them due to the large numbers of dead commanders occurring on a rolling basis from Israel's counterattack in the South and the constant airstrikes.
Israel to explain Gaza electricity, water cut-off
On the flipside, Hagari said that Israel will likely explain to the world later today what its legal position is on cutting off Gaza's electricity and water.
Already on Wednesday, criticism in many sectors was starting to build that even if the IDF's military counterattacks were justified against Hamas' attackers, cutting off the entire strip, especially from water, was illegal collective punishment.
Although some Israeli officials have said that Gaza could receive humanitarian aid from Egypt, there have also been attacks on the crossings with Egypt.
In addition, the air force's ongoing airstrikes continued across all of Gaza, this time focusing on Hamas' elite commando unit Nokhba, which led the invasion on Saturday.
The attacks were based on new intelligence that the IDF obtained from interrogating Hamas terrorists who were captured during battles over the Gaza corridor.
Attacks included a variety of Hamas commando operational headquarters which were planning areas for the invasion.
In addition, the IDF killed Mohammed Abu Shamala, a senior Hamas naval commander.
An airstrike hit his home, which the IDF said also was being used to store naval weapons.