Israeli Defense Minister Says 4,000 Hamas Terrorists Killed Since Oct. 7

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that approximately 4,000 terrorists who participated in the October 7, 2023, invasion of Israel have been eliminated. He indicated that around 6,000 militants initially crossed the border. "On October 7, 6,000 terrorists crossed the border into Israel and committed atrocities. Of these, 4,000 have already been killed, with 2,000 remaining," Katz said.

According to Katz, these figures were presented by Major General Shlomi Binder, head of the IDF's Military Intelligence Directorate, during a cabinet meeting. Previous military estimates placed the number of terrorists who infiltrated Israel on October 7 at approximately 5,600. Between 1,200 and 1,600 of them were killed directly within Israeli territory.

Many attackers reportedly returned to the Gaza Strip after the initial assault. Some were subsequently eliminated in ongoing combat operations or Israeli counter-terrorism efforts. The search for remaining perpetrators is ongoing, with the Shin Bet unit "Nili" involved in this effort.

Katz added that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have instructed the military and other security agencies to eliminate all participants in the attack, regardless of their status.