Hamas aerial operations leader killed in Israeli airstrike
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Gaza: Murad Abu Murad, a high-ranking military commander of Hamas responsible for overseeing the group's aerial operations in Gaza City, was killed by the Israeli military.
The Israeli military reported that the strike occurred within the past day and targeted an operational center used by Hamas for their "aerial activity."
Hamas has not provided immediate confirmation regarding this development.
The Israeli army also expressed deep regret on Saturday for the tragic death of a Reuters journalist who lost his life amidst cross-border shelling along the Lebanon-Israel frontier.
Military spokesman Richard Hecht offered condolences, stating, "We are very sorry for the journalist's death." Although the Israeli military did not initially acknowledge responsibility, Hecht assured that they are actively investigating the incident. The shelling also left six other journalists injured, including two from AFP.
The Israeli military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, announced on Saturday that any use of the border crossing from the Gaza Strip into Egypt would necessitate coordination with Israel.
He said, "Regarding Gaza, the crossings are closed. The borders are closed, and any movement or crossing to Egypt will be in coordination with us and in contact with us. For now, this issue is not happening," reported Reuters.
Israel has issued a Saturday deadline for over one million Palestinians residing in northern Gaza to relocate to the southern region. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel's response to recent actions by Hamas in southern Israel marks just the beginning of their actions.
