In a significant development, the deputy commander of Hamas’ military wing has been eliminated in Lebanon, according to the Jerusalem Post. The incident took place in the city of Tyre, where the man was attacked while in his car. The spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces confirmed the attack and stated that the man was involved in the attacks against Israel that originated from Lebanon.
The situation in the Middle East has escalated following the infiltration of thousands of Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory on October 7th, when Hamas launched the “Flood of Al-Aqsa” operation. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a state of war.
Israel’s retaliatory operation, named “Iron Swords,” aims to repel the attacks, free over 200 hostages (including foreigners), and destroy Hamas. Since the beginning of the operation, Israel has launched massive missile strikes on the Gaza Strip. Additionally, the Israeli National Security Council decided to halt the supply of water, food, goods, electricity, and fuel to the enclave. Humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza have resumed only through the Rafah checkpoint after October 20th, but their volume is deemed insufficient.
On October 27th, Israel announced the “expansion” of its ground operation in Gaza. The exact start date of this operation remains unknown, but hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had already fled their homes and sought refuge in shelters and the southern part of the enclave. As of November 5th, clashes continue in the center of Gaza, as the Israeli Defense Forces have surrounded the city, cutting off its supply lines.
Earlier, Netanyahu had mentioned progress in negotiations with Hamas regarding the hostages.
