Conflict
Killed senior Hamas leader Rawhi Mushtaha in an airstrike in Gaza 3 months ago: Israel
The Israeli military announced on Thursday that it had killed senior Hamas leader Rawhi Mushtaha in an airstrike on an underground compound in Gaza around three months ago. The strike, which occurred in northern Gaza, also killed two other Hamas commanders.
Mushtaha was a close ally of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader believed to have played a key role in the October 7 attack. Sinwar is still thought to be in hiding within Gaza.
Additionally, recent Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah along with several of his top commanders. Since mid-September, over 1,276 people have been killed in widespread airstrikes across Lebanon, according to the country’s Health Ministry. Israel reported that it had targeted around 200 Hezbollah sites, including weapons storage and observation posts, killing at least 15 Hezbollah fighters. However, these claims have not been independently verified.
Hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes as Israel advised residents of around 50 villages and towns in southern Lebanon to evacuate to areas farther from the border, more than 60 kilometers away from the conflict zone.
On Tuesday, Israeli airstrikes resulted in the deaths of at least 37 people in Gaza, according to local medics, as the Israeli military intensified its operations, Arab News reported.
Palestinian health officials reported that two strikes on houses in Nuseirat, one of Gaza’s historic refugee camps, killed at least 13 people, including women and children. Additionally, a strike on a school in the Tuffah neighbourhood that was sheltering displaced families claimed at least seven lives.
The Israeli military stated that its airstrike targeted Hamas militants operating from a compound that previously served as Al-Shejaia School, accusing Hamas of using civilian sites for military purposes, a claim Hamas refutes.
Later in the day, separate Israeli attacks resulted in the deaths of five Palestinians in Rafah and the Zeitoun suburb of Gaza City. In Khan Younis, six Palestinians died in an airstrike on a tent for displaced people, followed by another airstrike on a car that killed six more.
Many Palestinians expressed concerns that Israel’s focus on Lebanon might prolong the conflict in Gaza, which approaches its first anniversary next week. Samir Mohammed, a father of five from Gaza City, was quoted saying by Arab News, “The eyes of the world now are on Lebanon while the occupation continues its killing in Gaza. We fear the war will continue for several more months.”
Meanwhile, the US announced additional sanctions against Israeli settlers involved in attacks on Palestinians and property destruction in the West Bank.
