Tuesday saw Israel carry out its offensive in Gaza and claim that one of its fighter jets had killed a senior Hamas commander who was in charge of the October 7 attack. The Central Jabalia Battalion leader of Hamas, Ibrahim Biari, was eliminated, according to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on X (Twitter).
The IDF claimed that the strike “eliminated a large number of terrorists who were with Biari and damaged Hamas’s command and control in the area,” and that “an underground terrorist infrastructure collapsed following the strike.”
“The IDF reiterates its call to the residents of the area to move south for their safety,” the post stated.
A heavily packed refugee camp in the Gaza Strip was the target of IDF strikes, which also claimed the lives of at least 50 other Palestinians in addition to Biari. Medics struggled to treat the casualties and set up operating rooms in hospital corridors, the report added.
According to IDF spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, Biari’s removal was “very important” and even “pivotal in the planning and the execution of the October 7 attack against Israel” from the Gaza Strip, as reported by Reuters. He said that Biari and dozens of other Hamas terrorists were located in the same network of underground tunnels.
And I am aware that this is also the cause of the numerous complaints of non-combatants and collateral damage. We’re investigating those also,” Conricus stated.
According to Palestinian health sources, up to 150 Palestinians were injured and at least 50 Palestinians died in the largest refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. However, senior commanders were not present at the compound, according to Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem, who also described Israel’s assertion as a pretext for killing civilians.
The terrorist organisation claimed in a statement that 400 people had died and been injured in Jabaliya, which is home to families who have fled Israel’s 1948 battles. According to Reuters, they were unable to independently confirm the claimed deaths.
According to a statement from the US Department of State, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will go to the region after meeting with Israeli officials on Friday in Israel. The US, Qatar and Egypt have been working to open the Rafah Crossing – between Egypt and the Gaza Strip – to allow people to come and go, and also enable the passage of humanitarian aid.
The Houthis of Yemen announced their entry into the Israel-Hamas conflict on Tuesday, claiming to have fired missiles and drones towards Israel. Part of the “Axis of Resistance” and backed by Iran, the Houthis have aided the Palestinians ever since Hamas’s October 7 attack.
In a televised broadcast, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree announced the move and threatened to launch further assaults against Israel in an effort to “help the Palestinians to victory,” according to news agency. “Death to America, death to Israel, curse the Jews, and victory to Islam” is the group’s catchphrase.
Following Israel’s offensive in Gaza, a number of nations have said that they are recalling their ambassadors to that country. Bolivia announced it had severed diplomatic ties with Israel on Tuesday and accused it of crimes against humanity in Gaza. Bolivia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Freddy Mamani made the announcement at a press conference.
Recalls of ambassadors to Israel have also been announced by Chile and Colombia. While Chilean President Gabriel Boric denounced the Israeli military actions in Gaza and expressed “great concern” for those involved, Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused Israel of carrying out a “massacre” of Palestinians.
Due to the reconnection of international connectivity, the Palestinian Telecommunication Company, or Paltel, announced in an X post on Wednesday that internet and communication services had been totally suspended in Gaza, according to news agency. The biggest telecom operator in Gaza is Paltel.
