Gaza crisis boils over as Israeli forces strike Hamas command centers

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) released a targeted attack on a Hamas militant within Gaza's Nasser Hospital compound. On X, the IDF wrote, "A senior Hamas terrorist who was working from within the Nasser Hospital compound in Gaza was hit exactly.

Precision Strikes on Hamas Leaders

The attack was carried out after a long process of intelligence gathering and with accurate munitions in an effort to minimize damage to the surrounding environment as much as possible." The military blamed Hamas for utilizing civilian locations as cover, declaring, "Hamas uses civilian infrastructure while callously putting the Gazan population at risk--cynically utilizing an operating hospital as a hideout for planning and launching deadly terrorist attacks in blatant disregard of international law." In addition, the IDF separately confirmed the death of two important Hamas commanders, stating, "ELIMINATED: 

Regional and Global Reactions

The IDF named them as Ahmad Salman 'Awj Shimali, "responsible for operations, planning Hamas' offensive strategy, and constructing the brigade's force in anticipation of the brutal massacre on Oct 7,"He was part of an attack in which Daniel Viflic, 16, was killed. Earlier today, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff attributed the fresh fighting to Hamas, dismissing accusations that Israel scuttled efforts at a ceasefire. "So this is on Hamas. The United States stands with Israel.He added that Hamas rejected a bridging proposal which sought to carry the truce through April. "Hamas is the one who is the aggressor here." Hamas replied, "We have responded positively to all the attempts made towards us. It was Netanyahu who stood down on the deal. It was Netanyahu who ignored it. So, it is Netanyahu, not Hamas or the resistance, who needs to be pressured into agreement.

Civilian Casualties and Damage

In the meantime, Israeli ground and air attacks persisted in Beit Hanoun and Rafah, with Lebanon's Hezbollah targets hit by airstrikes Gaza's humanitarian crisis deepened, with UN official Philippe Lazzarini . Gaza Health Ministry states 50,021 dead and 113,274 injured. The Gaza Government Media Office estimates the cost at more than 61,700. In Israel, 1,139 were killed in the October 7 assault, with over 200 being captured.