The Israeli military announced on Saturday the elimination of a Hamas leader in southern Syria. Avichai Adraee, the spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces, stated in a message via the platform X that Israeli warplanes targeted and killed Ahmad Muhammad Fahd, the commander of Hamas’s terrorist network in the region, based on precise intelligence from the Northern Command and intelligence agency. Adraee noted that Fahd was responsible for orchestrating numerous terrorist operations against IDF forces and the state of Israel from southern Syria, including launching rockets toward the Golan Heights.
Military operations by Israel in the Gaza Strip have been ongoing since October 7, 2023, when Hamas initiated “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” firing thousands of rockets into Israel and infiltrating nearby Israeli towns, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis, mostly settlers, and the capture of around 250 others. In retaliation, Israel officially declared war on Gaza, commencing with devastating airstrikes followed by ground operations within the territory. As of now, the Israeli offensive has led to around 42,000 fatalities and 96,000 injuries in Gaza, with the majority being women and children, while over 10,000 people remain missing.
Despite two resolutions from the UN Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire and International Court of Justice orders to avoid civilian targeting, the conflict persists. Concurrently, there has been an escalation of violence in the West Bank, particularly in northern cities, resulting in thousands of casualties and significant damage to infrastructure. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen, with critical shortages of water and food due to the destruction of infrastructure and desalination facilities by the Israeli military. The UN has warned of a severe hunger crisis affecting the Gaza population as the war continues.
Since the onset of this devastating conflict on October 7, the Israeli military has tightened its siege on Gaza, cutting off essential supplies such as water, food, medicine, electricity, and fuel from the approximately 2.3 million Palestinian residents, who are already facing dire conditions. Meanwhile, tensions have escalated along the Israeli-Lebanese border, with intermittent artillery exchanges between the Israeli army and Hezbollah, expanding daily along the border from Ras Naqoura to the Shebaa Farms.
