The Israeli army killed Ahmed Ali, the commander of the Hamas naval force in Gaza City, in a raid. The IDF announced it together with the Shin Bet. “Over the last few years – explained the army – Ali has been involved in the projects of the Hamas naval unit in the Gaza Strip. During the war, he was responsible for attacks against Israel and ground troops operating in the Gaza Strip Gaza. Last week, it carried out terrorist activities against IDF troops operating in central Gaza.”
Meanwhile, Hamas announced that medical teams have found a third mass grave inside the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City with 49 bodies recovered so far. According to Hamas, a total of seven mass graves have so far been found inside Gaza hospitals.
Furthermore, Hamas has made it known that the talks in Cairo are over and that Netanyahu has returned to square one. Haaretz reports this, also citing an Israeli source according to whom there has been “no breakthrough” in the negotiations, even if the delegation remains in the Egyptian capital. Meanwhile, Hamas has announced that its fighters are fighting against Israeli troops east of Rafah. The international media reported it and Haaretz also reported that the IDF is continuing to operate in the eastern part of Rafah. According to the Guardian, residents said the fighting was still on the outskirts.
Armed groups from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah said in separate statements that firefights continued in central Gaza while residents of northern Gaza reported Israeli tank shelling against eastern areas of the city.
The United Nations agency UNRWA said that no aid had yet entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing after Israel said this morning it had reopened the border crossing and that aid trucks from Egypt were already subjected to inspections before their arrival in Gaza.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA claims in a note that, contrary to what Israel announced this morning, both crossings towards the Gaza Strip of Kerem Shalom and Rafah remain closed and urges their “immediate reopening”. . The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli authorities had closed the Kerem Shalom crossing this afternoon, after the entry of a single fuel truck delivered to UNRWA, and after several days of closure. “The two crossings are closed and we ask for their reopening” – said Agency spokeswoman Juliet Touma, explaining that it was necessary to ration fuel and daily needs for humanitarian purposes.
IDF troops “are continuing the targeted anti-terrorism operation to eliminate Hamas and dismantle its infrastructure in specific areas of eastern Rafah”, confirmed the Israeli military spokesperson, according to whom “in numerous close combats last day, soldiers have eliminated terrorists and discovered structures as well as tunnel entrances in many locations east of Rafah.”
“Troops have begun the process of dismantling both terrorist facilities and tunnel entrances. Soldiers are operating “targeted raids on the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing.”
The IDF also decided that agricultural work near the security fence with Gaza should not be carried out today. Based on “a security assessment”, the Israeli army announced that “outdoor activities in communities near the Strips from 0 to 4 kilometers from the border will have to have a permit from the regional brigades”. In the areas close to the Strip yesterday the alarm sirens sounded several times due to Hamas rockets fired from Gaza.
Hagari, ‘Plan presented for a year of war in Gaza’
“We will not deceive the public: even after we take care of Rafah, there will be terrorism. Hamas will move north and reorganize.” Military spokesman Daniel Hagari said this to the Yedioth Ahronot newspaper, adding that the IDF has “presented a plan to the government for fighting in Gaza which should last a year”.
“Gaza – he underlined – is perhaps one of the most difficult theaters in the world: overcrowded and full of tunnels”. “We are facing difficult years and we will have to explain it both internally and externally.” Hagari then said that the IDF took responsibility for the “failure” of October 7.
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