Israel Vs Hamas: Airstrikes Eliminate Commanders, Others in Gaza –IDF
With no end in sight to the current fighting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected calls from around the world for a cease-fire. The intent beats the imagination of many who are still in shock over the horrible impact of the crisis on innocent civilians.
Earlier, Israel said it carried out an airstrike that killed one of the Hamas commanders who orchestrated the deadly October 7 terror attack on southern Israel. The Hamas attack killed 1,400 people.
The Israeli Defense Force and Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security service said Nasim Abu Ajina was commander of the Beit Lahia Battalion of Hamas’ Northern Brigade and took part in the development of the unmanned aerial vehicles and paragliders involved in the brazen invasion.
The IDF also said its combined air and ground forces struck approximately 300 targets over the last 24 hours, including anti-tank missile and underground rocket launch posts, as well as military compounds inside Hamas’ underground tunnels. The military said Hamas terrorists were killed during the operation.
Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, has a sprawling network of tunnels underneath Gaza where it is believed to be stockpiling weapons, food, and other supplies.
Israeli troops and tanks are steadily moving further into northern Gaza, expanding their military presence in Gaza.
Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since the October 7 attacks have led to a humanitarian crisis in the crowded Palestinian enclave. The Hamas-run Palestinian Health Ministry said Monday more than 8,300 have been killed in the airstrikes, mostly women and children. The humanitarian group Save the Children says more than 3,000 children have been killed in the conflict.
But Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a press conference Monday that calls for a cease-fire “call for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorism, to surrender to barbarism.”
“This will not happen,” Netanyahu added. “This is a time for war.”
Netanyahu also rejected growing calls for him to resign over the surprise Hamas attack on October 7.
VOA.