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Israel Kills Senior Hamas Leaders

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Several senior Hamas officials have been killed in recent airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, Israel’s military and intelligence sources confirm.

Ahmad Salman ’Awj Shimali, the deputy commander of the Gaza City Brigade, and Jamil Omar Jamil Wadiya, the commander of the Shejaiya Battalion, were among those killed in airstrikes in recent days, the military said.

Additionally, Hamas and Palestinian media said Sunday that an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis killed Salah al-Bardaweel, a Hamas political leader.

Pro-Hamas media said the airstrike killed Bardaweel, a member of its political office, and his wife.

They were among at least 19 people killed in overnight attacks in southern Gaza, Hamas-controlled authorities said.

The attacks came after Israel carried out a strike in Tyre, south Lebanon, on Saturday, reportedly killing one and wounding seven people in its attempt to destroy Hezbollah.

LEBANON STRIKES

Israel’s Lebanon strikes were believed to be its deadliest there since the November 27 ceasefire, which had put an end to 13 months of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel.

Critics saw the strike on Tyre, one of the largest cities in south Lebanon and far from the Lebanese border, as a significant escalation threatening the fragile ceasefire agreement.

An Israeli military spokesperson said it targeted “attack command headquarters, terrorist operatives, missile launchers, and a weapons depot of the terrorist Hezbollah.”

The wave of Israeli airstrikes was triggered by the launching of three rockets from Lebanon by unknown groups, which were intercepted by the Israeli air force, officials added.

Hezbollah denied any involvement in the rocket attacks and stressed its commitment to the ceasefire agreement.

It added that Israeli claims that it was behind the strikes were “merely a pretext for continued attacks on Lebanon.”

SURVIVORS CONCERNED

As fighting continued, 40 survivors of Hamas captivity called on the Israeli government to halt the “endless war.”

Israel’s government says it is committed to bringing the remaining hostages home but also says Hamas and Hezbollah should be crushed.

Yet, with Israeli strikes resuming, the Jewish nation faces revenge attacks by Hamas’ Iran-backed allies, such as the Houthis.

On Sunday, a ballistic missile fired at Israel by the Houthis in Yemen was successfully intercepted by air defenses, the Israeli military said.

There were no reports of injuries or damage in the attack, which triggered sirens across central Israel, authorities confirmed.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the missile was shot down before crossing the country’s borders. It was the fifth Houthi attack on Israel since the Israel Defense Forces began its renewed offensive against Hamas in Gaza on Tuesday.

The missile launch came a day after Houthi rebel media in Yemen accused the United States of attacking the airport in the rebel-held port city of Hodeida. It was the latest such claim since Washington announced heavy strikes against the Iran-backed group a week ago.