He said Hamas built its infrastructure under and above the ground and it is not easy to destroy them, adding that it will take time.

The same day, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Ministry of Health said Israel carried out 18 strikes, killing 179 Palestinians and wounding more than 300.

Ashraf al-Qudra said the Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip is nearing 18,000, and 50,000 others have been injured by the attacks.