Israel Continues Fight Against Hamas Militias as Member of Palestinian Parliament Dies in Bombing
In the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group, Israel’s army has confirmed the death of Yamila Abdullah Taha al Shanti, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and the founder of the women’s branch of Hamas. The fatal bombing occurred in the Gaza Strip on Thursday.
A statement from the PLC expressed regret over the death of Yamila al Shanti, stating that she was “murdered today at dawn by bombings by the occupation in the Gaza Strip.” This statement was shared by the Palestinian newspaper Filastin, linked to Hamas, through its Telegram channel.
Al Shanti, who ran on the third position on the Change and Reform lists during the 2006 elections, was a prominent figure within Hamas. Despite the Islamist movement’s victory in the elections, clashes between Hamas and Israeli forces, as well as intra-Palestinian tensions, led to the division of power, with Hamas taking control of the Gaza Strip since 2007 and Fatah governing the West Bank.
During the recent attacks, the Israeli Army claimed to have destroyed numerous Hamas terrorist infrastructure over the past 24 hours. The targets included anti-tank missile launching points, intelligence infrastructure, operational headquarters, and mortar projectile launching positions. The army stated that most of these targets were destroyed immediately after launches towards Israel.
Among those killed in the bombings was Rafat abu Halal, the leader of the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, in a bombing against the city of Rafá in the south of the Palestinian enclave.
As the conflict intensifies, Israeli authorities have confirmed nearly 1,400 deaths and around 200 kidnappings from the attack that took place on October 7, carried out by Hamas with support from Islamic Jihad. In response, Palestinian authorities have raised the death toll from Israeli bombings to nearly 3,500. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are reportedly considering a ground offensive to eliminate or significantly degrade Hamas’ capabilities.
The situation remains tense, with both sides continuing their military operations. The international community is closely monitoring the conflict and urging for a peaceful resolution.