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Tag: October 7 attacks

  • Hezbollah’s Naim Qassem Delivers First Address Post-Nasrallah’s Death Amid Rising Israel-Lebanon Tensions

    Hezbollah’s Naim Qassem Delivers First Address Post-Nasrallah’s Death Amid Rising Israel-Lebanon Tensions

    In a significant escalation of tensions, Israel has intensified its military operations in Lebanon, with airstrikes reported in the Kola area of Beirut. This marks the first instance of Israeli attacks extending beyond the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital. The assault resulted in the deaths of three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, highlighting the ongoing violence in the region.

    Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Naim Qassem, delivered his first address since the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli strike on Friday. Qassem’s remarks come amidst mounting casualties, as Lebanon’s Health Ministry reports that Israeli attacks have claimed the lives of 105 individuals in the last 24 hours alone.

    The Israeli Air Force is also conducting extensive bombardments across the Gaza Strip, with reports indicating at least 28 fatalities in the past day. The situation remains dire, as airstrikes target critical infrastructure, including a power plant and a seaport in Yemen’s Hodeidah and Ras Isa, leading to additional civilian casualties.

    Since the outbreak of hostilities in October, the situation in Gaza has deteriorated significantly, with official figures reporting at least 41,595 deaths and 96,251 injuries attributed to Israeli attacks. In contrast, Israel has recorded at least 1,139 deaths following Hamas-led attacks on October 7, alongside over 200 individuals taken captive.

    As the conflict continues to unfold, updates on the situation remain critical for understanding the broader implications for regional stability.

    Source: Aljazeera

  • Hamas Military Commander Killed in July Strike, Says Israel

    The Israeli military has confirmed that Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip last month.
    Deif was the target of an attack on a compound in the Khan Younis area on July 13. Hamas has not yet confirmed his death.
    Israel says Deif was one of the masterminds of the October 7 attacks in southern Israel that left 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage.
    Hamas political leader Ismael Haniyeh was killed on Wednesday during a visit to Iran. Israel has not commented directly on his death.
    In a statement released on Thursday, the Israeli military said that “following an intelligence assessment, it can be confirmed that Mohammed Deif was eliminated” in the July 13 attack.
    The Hamas-run Gaza health authorities said at the time that the airstrike killed more than 90 people, but denied that Deif was among the dead.
    Deif was widely seen as Hamas’ second-ranking official in Gaza, after Yahya Sinwar, the group’s leader in the territory.
    Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Deif’s death was “a significant milestone” in disbanding Hamas.
    “This operation reflects the fact that Hamas is disintegrating, and that Hamas terrorists may either surrender or they will be eliminated,” he added.
    Mohammed Deif is the leader of the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement.
    For decades, he was one of the most wanted men by Israel and survived seven assassination attempts.
    According to Israeli and Palestinian media, Deif was born in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in Gaza in 1965, when the territory was occupied by Egypt.
    In the 1980s as a young man, he joined Hamas and quickly rose in rank.
    Israel accused him of plotting and overseeing bombing of buses that killed dozens of Israelis in 1996, and of being involved in the capture and killing of three Israeli soldiers in the mid-1990s.
    Deif is also known for helping build tunnels that allow Hamas militants to enter Israel from Gaza.
    In 2002, he assumed the position of head of the military wing of Hamas.
    In 2014, Israel tried to kill Deif by launching an airstrike on a house in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza, killing his wife, Widad, and their infant son, Ali.
    Israel thought Deif was also killed, but he was not in the building at the time.
    In the current conflict, Deif is suspected of directing Hamas military operations from underground tunnels inside Gaza.
    Confirmation of Deif’s death came at the end of a tumultuous week in the Israel-Gaza conflict, which has raised fears of a wider regional war.
    On Saturday, 12 Israeli children and teenagers were killed after a rocket hit a soccer field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Lebanon-based Hezbollah, vowing that it would pay a heavy price.
    On Tuesday, Israel responded by launching an airstrike in Beirut that killed Hezbollah’s senior commander Fuad Shukr and four others, including two children.
    Hours later, Hamas political leader Ismael Haniyeh was killed in an attack on the building he was staying in during a visit to Tehran, the capital of Iran.

    Source: BBC News