Top Hamas commander killed, Israeli forces ready for ‘coordinated’ assault in Gaza

NEW DELHI, OCTO 15: As the war between Israel and Hamas has entered its seventh day, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) has announced that they are prepared for a “coordinated” attack in the Gaza Strip involving air, ground, and naval forces. The army’s statement came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met soldiers near the Gaza border and said, “more is coming”.

Israeli air raids continued in Gaza on Saturday night, and the army announced that they had killed a top Hamas commander, Billal al-Qedra, who was top commander of the Nukhba force, Hamas’s elite military wing.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians continue to flee northern Gaza, fearing a ground offensive by Israel, and the combined death toll has crossed 3,500.

Visuals of the damage caused in the city of Gaza by Israeli Army attacks.

The Israel Defence Force has announced that it killed a top Hamas commander, Billal al-Qedra, during its air raids in Gaza on Saturday night. Bilal al-Kedra was the commander of the Nukhba force, Hamas military’s elite commando wing. He was responsible for the deadly raid on Kibbutz Nirim and Nir Oz in southern Israel. “In addition, other operatives in the terrorist organisation Hamas as well as in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad were eliminate,” IDF said.

The Israeli army has announced that it has prepared for a ‘coordinated’ attack on the Gaza Strip in Palestine, involving air, ground, and naval forces. The latest army statement said it is “preparing to implement a wide range of offensive operative plans”. Israel is reportedly planning to send 10,000 troops to capture Gaza City.

“Hamas has shown the world time and time again what they are capable of. Now the IDF is prepared to counter with an even greater force. There is no place in the world for terrorism,” the Israel Defence Force said. The army has not said when the offensive will begin.

As Israel plans to step up the offensive, Iran has warned that if Israel continues with “war crimes and genocide”, the situation could spiral out of control with “far-reaching consequences.” Top Iranian officials said Tehran will intervene and Israel could face “a huge earthquake” of resistance if they conduct a ground offensive in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, has met in Doha with Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh, according to Iran’s state-run media.

The United States is planning to send a second naval carrier strike group to support Israel in the fight against Hamas, the Associated Press reported, quoting sources close to the development. The USS Dwight D Eisenhower carrier strike group will be sent to the Eastern Mediterranean. The American carrier strike group USS Gerald R Ford is already sailing near Israel.

The US State Department has confirmed the deaths of 29 Americans in Israel. The State Department spokesperson added that the US was aware of 15 citizens and one lawful permanent resident who were unaccounted for, and said the officials are ‘working around the clock’ to trace them.

After his visit to the Gaza border and meeting with defence personnel, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to the US President Joe Biden for the fifth time since the war began a week ago. Prime Minister Netanyahu thanked Biden for the deep and unconditional American support for the State of Israel and its right to defend itself, the Prime Minister’s office said.

As per the latest count, at least 1,300 people have killed and 3,227 others have been injured in Israel in the attack by Hamas. In Gaza, at least 2,228 people have been killed in retaliatory strikes from Israel with another 8,744 more injured.

According to the Palestinian health ministry, 300 people, mostly children and women, had been killed and 800 others had been injured in Gaza over the past 24 hours.

Tens of thousands of people continued to flee from North Gaza to the South, fearing an imminent Israeli attack. According to an Israel Defence Forces spokesman, more than 400,000 people have evacuated Gaza to the South before it becomes an “active combat zone”. He warned that it will be a “difficult and dangerous” environment for those who choose to stay behind.

Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza ahead of possible ground attack by Israel.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has announced that it will hold an urgent meeting on coming Wednesday to discuss the Israel-Hamas war and the attack on Gaza.

In a statement, the OIC said that the meeting, called at the invitation of Saudi Arabia, will address “the escalating military situation in Gaza and its environs as well as the deteriorating conditions that endanger the lives of civilians and the overall security and stability of the region.”

Notably, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has sought China’s help to prevent the spread of the Israel-Hamas war, according to the US State Department. Blinken called Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to request China’s assistance in preventing the Israel-Hamas war from spreading, as reported by the Associated Press. Blinken reportedly asked China to use whatever influence it has in the Middle East to prevent other countries and groups from entering the conflict.

-PTI