Leer en Español
The Israeli army claimed today to have killed in Gaza the commander of the Islamist militia Islamic Jihad, Abu Harbid, responsible for the launching of anti-tank missiles in this escalation of war that began a week ago.
“Fighter jets took out Hasam Abu Harbid of the Islamic Jihad’s Northern Division, a commander of the organization for more than 15 years,” the army said in a statement.
Israel has attacked, by land and air, a total of 766 targets in Gaza since the beginning of the escalation last Monday, infrastructures and operatives of the Palestinian militias of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, explained a senior military commander on Monday.
The attacks consisted, on a multitude of occasions, of more than one bombardment and reflect one of the worst clashes in seven years, with 3,110 rockets fired in just one week from the enclave, approaching the 3,393 the militias fired in fifty days during the 2014 Protective Edge war.
The Israeli military campaign has destroyed a total of 31 infrastructures of the Palestinian militias —24 of Hamas and 7 of Islamic Jihad, the same source detailed.
An Israeli air strike today killed the commander of the Islamic Jihad’s Northern Division, Abu Harbid, a 15-year leader of the militia who has “systematically” led the firing of rockets into Israel.
The early morning operations, as intense as those on Sunday that killed 42 civilians, also focused on the network of subway tunnels, known as “Metro”, where militiamen hide and which they use to move and transport weapons and projectiles to and from the strip, Israel said.
The Israeli army said today that, according to the preliminary investigation into yesterday’s lethal offensive that took a heavy toll in civilian lives, “the subway military tunnel installations (they were attacking) collapsed, resulting in the collapse of the foundations of civilian homes and unintended casualties.”
He further accused “Hamas of intentionally placing military infrastructure under civilian homes” and assured that it aborts attacks if they believe they can harm civilians.
Regarding the destruction of the tower, headquarters of the American news agency AP and the Al Jazeera network, he insisted that it housed Hamas’ “intelligence and communication” offices.
The high command said they are prepared to continue the military operation against “indiscriminate” rocket fire from Gaza, which he described as “unacceptable.”
Israel estimates it has killed 75 Hamas militiamen and “dozens” of Islamic Jihad militiamen.
At least 198 Palestinians have been killed in the blockaded and overcrowded enclave in a week. Ten people, including two minors, have been killed in Israel in the current escalation with no sign of a truce.
