Israeli Forces Continue Pressing Hamas in Rafah

Jerusalem, 31 July, 2024 (TPS) -- Israeli forces continued operations against Hamas in Rafah’s Tel al-Sultan neighborhood during the past day, the Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday, as Hamas confirmed the assassination of its top leader, Ismail Haniyeh.

Troops attacked Hamas infrastructure in targeted raids, eliminating terrorists in the southern Gaza city.

Meanwhile, forces operating in central Gaza also carried out targeted raids destroying terrorist infrastructure. During one operation, an Israeli airstrike eliminated a Hamas squad spotted planting explosives.

Airstrikes hammered dozens of other Hamas positions throughout the Strip, including armed squads, underground shafts, military buildings and other terror infrastructure.

The Iran-backed Hamas confirmed Haniyeh, was assassinated in Tehran. Haniyeh, who was based in Qatar, was attending the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

“We mourn the death of Ismail Haniyeh who was killed in a Zionist attack on the headquarters in Tehran, after he attended the appointment party of the new Iranian president,” Hamas announced.

Haniyeh is the highest-ranking Hamas figure killed since October 7.

According to Iran’s state-run IRNA, Haniyeh and an Iranian security guard were killed inside the Tehran residence where he was staying.

Israeli officials have not commented.

News of the assassination came hours after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut killed Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr on Tuesday night. Shukr was responsible for Saturday’s deadly rocket attack on Majdal Shams, which killed 12 children in the Druze village. Shukr was a member of Hezbollah’s Jihad Council, the terror group’s highest military body and regarded as a right-hand man to Hezbollah chief Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah.

At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 115 remaining hostages, 39 have been declared dead. Hamas has also been holding captive two Israeli civilians since 2014 and 2015, and the bodies of two soldiers killed in 2014.

Nearly 80,000 Israelis were forced to evacuate their homes near the Lebanon border when Hezbollah began launching rockets and drones in October. Hezbollah leaders have said they will continue the attacks to prevent Israelis from returning to their homes. The attacks have killed 25 civilians and 18 soldiers.

Israeli officials have been calling for Hezbollah to be disarmed and removed from southern Lebanon in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War.