Tuesday’s strike, which coincided with the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, left at least five people dead and 12 injured, according to local hospitals.
GAZA STRIP – Israel said Wednesday it targeted and killed the new leader of Hamas’s military wing during an attack Gaza City air strikes Less than two weeks after killing his ex.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and the Israeli military said the attack on Tuesday killed Mohamed Odeh.
The family of the man, Mohammed Odeh, said he was killed in the attack but did not confirm that he was the leader of the military wing. Hamas has yet to comment.
Katz calls him “one of the architects” Attack on October 7, 2023 It sparked more than two years of war in Gaza and said it was the fourth time since that massacre that Israel had killed the head of Hamas’s military wing. Izzy al-Din HaddadThe former chief was killed on May 16.
Strikes on the eve of Tuesday left at least five people dead and 12 injured Eid al-AdhaAccording to local hospitals, this is an important Muslim holiday.
“We pledge to eliminate all those who led the October 7 massacre, and this is what we will do: they are destined to die wherever they are,” Katz wrote on X on Wednesday. “We guarantee that Hamas will not impose civilian or military rule.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is preparing for autumn elections, has also threatened that Israel will target anyone involved in the October 7, 2023 attack.
A grim Eid in Gaza
The attack comes as Muslims prepare for Eid al-Adhausually a happy time for family gatherings and large meals.
The festival was once again muted this year in Gaza, where the vast majority of people remain displaced and living in tents or makeshift shelters in the wake of a devastating war. The United Nations estimates that about 90 percent of Gaza’s more than 2 million people have lost their homes, with most now sheltering in vast tent camps infested with rats and cesspools. They depend on aid to survive.
Eid al-Adha, also known as Eid al-Adha, is an Islamic holiday celebrated by millions of Muslims around the world. The four-day holiday begins with pilgrimageis also known for being a joyful time for family gatherings, where children receive new clothes and gifts.
“This is not Eid… We are already dead,” said Mahmoud Saqer, a displaced person from Khan Younis. He said people were saddened by the ongoing human suffering and killings in the region.
In Khan Younis and Gaza City, people gathered for Eid prayers in destroyed buildings including a destroyed mosque, with few signs of celebration except for a few clusters of balloons lining one street. Tahrir al-Khatib said the joy that accompanied Eid al-Fitr has disappeared in Gaza.
“There is no Eid. My children were killed. Eid is only for those who have not lost anyone,” said Ayda Al-Banna, a displaced woman from Gaza City who said Eid prayers with her granddaughter.
Gaza ceasefire fragile
ceasefire Agreement between Israel and Hamas October remains fragile. Since the ceasefire came into effect, Israeli attacks have killed more than 880 Palestinians. Israel said the attacks were in response to Hamas violations or threats to its soldiers, but Palestinian health officials said dozens of civilians were among the dead. Four Israeli soldiers were also killed in Gaza during this period.
Israel launched an offensive in Gaza in response to an October 2023 Hamas attack that left about 1,200 people dead and 251 people taken hostage.
The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza stated that Israeli artillery fire has killed more than 72,803 Palestinians. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas government in Gaza, did not provide details on the number of civilians and militants killed. ___
Associated Press writer Fatma Khalid contributed in Cairo.
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