If Israel has still not launched its ground offensive on Gaza, the Jewish state continues to shell the Palestinian enclave and claims to have killed several leaders of the armed wing of Hamas, including those responsible for the bloody attack of October 7. The Israeli armed forces claimed to have carried out ground incursions on Friday October 13.
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Israel continues the hunt for those responsible for the October 7 assault. And announces having eliminated Ali Qadi, the company commander of the Nukhba unit (“elite” in Arabic) of Hamas which led the attack against the Israeli localities located on the edge of the border with the Gaza Strip, reports our corresponding to Jerusalem, Michael Paul. He was killed by aerial fire, said the spokesperson for the Israeli army following precise information provided by the Shin Bet, the Israeli internal security service.
Ali Qadi was an old acquaintance of the Israeli services. Arrested in 2006 for murder and kidnapping, Ali Qadi had, according to the spokesperson, been released by the Israeli authorities as part of the exchange of detainees following the release by Franco-Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit kidnapped on June 25, 2006 by Hamas and released on October 18, 2011 after five and a half years of captivity in the Gaza Strip.
Furthermore, Israel also claims to have eliminated the commander of Hamas’s air activities last night. Mourad Abou Mourad who was also involved in the surprise attack on Israel a week ago.
Ground incursions
The Israeli air forces are therefore continuing their bombing campaign in Gaza. But the army assures that it is targeting the cells and infrastructures of the armed wing of Hamas: tunnels, command posts and residences of its leaders.
To target its response, the Israeli army carried out ground incursions on Friday. Armored vehicles and infantry units were deployed for a few hours in order to eliminate, she claims, the terrorist threat and weapons.
The challenge is also to collect information enabling the location of the hostages. There are currently 120 civilians in the hands of Hamas. Spotting them and then trying to free them in the urban and underground maze that is Gaza is an immense challenge for the Israeli army.
Reuters video journalist killed and six other journalists from AFP, Reuters and Al-Jazeera injured Friday in bombings in southern Lebanon. The Israeli army said on Saturday: very sorry » of this death, indicating “ investigate ”, without explicitly recognizing any responsibility.
The evacuation of the population from the northern Gaza Strip
Tension is also high on the northern border of the country, where the Israeli army announced in the morning that it had killed “ several terrorists » who were trying to infiltrate from Lebanon, after striking a Hezbollah target in southern Lebanon during the night, in response to a “ infiltration » air and gunfire.
Israel continues to demand the evacuation of the population from the northern Gaza Strip towards the south. All those who refuse to evacuate towards the south are putting themselves in danger, proclaims the spokesperson for the Israeli army. An hour after the expiration of the ultimatum on passage through the evacuation corridors, nothing really new. Israel continues to order the population of the north of the Palestinian enclave to cross the Wadi Ghaza cross line. Particularly using SMS messages. Israeli military sources indicate that they can see a significant exodus of the population on the ground.
Part of the population of Upper Galilee is in shelters. But many residents of the region have left their localities to take refuge further south in quieter areas at this stage.
(And with AFP)
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