IDF targets Hamas terror tunnel as part of Operation Protective Edge. Photo: Twitter.

A senior Israeli official said on Tuesday that 1,000 Hamas terrorists have been killed by the IDF since the start of “Operation Protective Edge” 22 days ago, Israel’s Channel 2 reported.

“Hamas has suffered a bad blow and still has not come to grips with the gravity of it,” said the source. He added that the number of combatant casualties was higher than the number of civilian casualties.

Furthermore, he said, after the operation in Gaza ends, neither Egypt nor Israel will allow any cement into Gaza and both will act to prevent Hamas from rebuilding everything that was destroyed during the operation, that is, the ability to fire rockets and to build terror tunnels.

Yesterday evening Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the war would continue and that there were “long days ahead”.

However, on Tuesday evening Channel 2 reported that all sides had agreed to a temporary ceasefire, during which discussions would take place in Cairo for a permanent ceasefire. The official also said that the duration of the initial ceasefire has not yet been set, however it was agreed upon that Israel would continue its operations against the tunnels.

However, less than half an hour after the report was released, Channel 2 backtracked, quoting the official as saying that the war would continue at this time.

Ahead of a cabinet meeting that took place at 8pm at the Ministry of Defense, tens of protesters gathered in front of the compound in Tel Aviv, calling for the continuation of operations in Gaza.

According to Channel 2, the IDF too had demanded that a decision be made during the cabinet meeting: “They need to choose: Either Israel expands military activities [in Gaza] or it gets out.”

Earlier Tuesday, forces from the IDF’s Givati brigade killed five Hamas terrorists who emerged from tunnels in the Gaza Strip. There were no injuries to IDF troops. During the operation, a weapons cache, including munitions and Kalashnikov rifles, was discovered by the troops.

On Tuesday morning, soldiers from the Paratroopers brigade blew up tunnels in the south of the Strip.