A spokesperson for the Israeli government said Monday that the combat capabilities of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) had been reduced by half during the Gaza war, with more than 12,000 of its fighters killed and a large number injured or captured.

Spokesperson Eylon Levy said in a press briefing, "We are talking about eliminating three-quarters of Hamas battalions... more than 12,000 terrorists have been killed."

He added, "When considering the number of terrorists who were injured or captured, this means that more than half of Hamas's combat capabilities are no longer effective."