Israel-Hamas War Live: Since Hamas’ attack, Israel’s bombardments have killed over 7,000 Palestinians
Israel Hamas War Live Updates:
Israel has “expanded” its operations in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian group Hamas saying its operatives were ready to confront attacks with “full force”. As Israeli air and ground forces stepped up their attacks on Friday night, local telecom firms and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Gaza said that the internet and mobile phone services were cut off.
“In the last hours, we intensified the attacks in Gaza,” Israel’s military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised news briefing. He also said that Israel’s air force was conducting extensive strikes on Hamas’ tunnels and other infrastructure.
“In addition to the attacks carried out in the last few days, ground forces are expanding their operations tonight,” he said.
Since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israeli towns, that killed over 1,400 people, Gaza’s health ministry has said that Israel’s retaliatory bombardments have killed more than 7,300 Palestinians.
Here are the live updates on the Israel-Hamas war:
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Israel today said that its fighter jets struck 150 “underground targets” in northern Gaza during an intense night of raids in its war against Hamas.
The sites hit included “terror tunnels, underground combat spaces and additional underground infrastructure. Furthermore, several Hamas terrorists were killed”, a military statement said.
Head of Hamas’ Aerial Array Asem Abu Rakaba was killed in an Israeli air strike overnight.
The Israel Defense Forces said that Rakaba was responsible for Hamas’ UAVs, drones, paragliders, aerial detection and defense.
“He took part in planning the October 7 massacre and commanded the terrorists who infiltrated Israel on paragliders and was responsible for the drone attacks on IDF posts,” the IDF said on X.
Overnight, IDF fighter jets struck Asem Abu Rakaba, the Head of Hamas’ Aerial Array.
Abu Rakaba was responsible for Hamas’ UAVs, drones, paragliders, aerial detection and defense.
He took part in planning the October 7 massacre and commanded the terrorists who infiltrated…
– Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 28, 2023
An adviser to PM Benjamin Netanyahu told an American news channel on Friday that Israel was starting its payback against Hamas and “Gaza will feel our wrath tonight.”
“They will continue to be on the receiving end of our military blows until we have dismantled their military machine and dissolve their political structure in Gaza,” Mark Regev told Fox News.Â
“When this is over, Gaza will be very different,” he added.
Hamas said on Saturday its fighters in Gaza were ready to confront Israeli attacks with “full force”.
“The Al-Qassam brigades and all the Palestinian resistance forces are completely ready to confront (Israel’s) aggression with full force and frustrate its incursions,” Hamas said in a statement early on Saturday.
“Netanyahu and his defeated army will not be able to achieve any military victory,” Hamas said referring to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Palestinian group said late on Friday that its members were fighting with Israeli troops in areas near the border with Israel.
US Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff on Friday met the family members of Americans who “remain unaccounted” for following Hamas’ attack in Israel.
Doug and I met with families of Americans who are still unaccounted for following the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel, and my message to them was simple: You are not alone. @POTUS and I are doing everything we can to bring these Americans home. pic.twitter.com/ADUvjs7u0g
– Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) October 27, 2023
Ms Harris relayed to the families that there is no higher priority for her and US President Joe Biden than the safety of American citizens. She emphasized that the Biden-Harris Administration is “doing everything possible” to bring these Americans home and secure the release of all hostages held by Hamas. Â
“The Shifa Hospital is not only the largest hospital in Gaza but it also acts as the main headquarters for Hamas’ terrorist activity,” the Israel Defense Forces said on X.
“Terrorism does not belong in a hospital and the IDF will operate to uncover any terrorist infrastructure, they added.
The Hamas, however, has denied the allegation.
The telecommunications blackout in Gaza after Israel stepped up its attack on Hamas risks providing “cover for mass atrocities”, the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said.
“Widespread phone and internet outages occurred in Gaza on October 27, 2023, amid a concerted Israeli bombardment, almost entirely cutting off the 2.2 million residents from the outside world,” the HRW said in a statement.
“This information blackout risks providing cover for mass atrocities and contributing to impunity for human rights violations,” the statement added.
Hundreds of protesters demanding a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas forced the closure of Grand Central Terminal, one of New York City’s major transit hubs on Friday.
“Grand Central Terminal is closed until further notice due to a protest,” the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said.
Besides India, Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Ukraine and the UK also abstained.
The Jordanian-drafted resolution did not make any mention of the Hamas, with the US expressing outrage at the “omission”.
The UN General Assembly on Friday called by a large majority for an “immediate humanitarian truce” in Gaza.Â
The non-binding resolution, which was criticized by Israel and the US, received 120 votes in favor, 14 against and 45 abstentions from UN members.
UN chief Antonio Guterres on Friday said that the humanitarian system in war-torn Gaza is facing a “total collapse” with “unimaginable consequences” for more than 2 million civilians.
“I repeat my call for a humanitarian ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and the delivery of life-saving supplies,” Guterres said in a statement.
Before the war, about 500 trucks a day rolled into Gaza to bring in supplies, but in recent days the average is down to only 12, which enter from the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, he said.
Internet access and the phone network were completely cut across the Gaza Strip on Friday night after Israel stepped up its attack on Hamas.
The Hamas-run government accused Israel of taking the measure “to perpetrate massacres with bloody retaliatory strikes from the air, land and sea.”
The Palestinian Red Crescent said the “disruption affects the central emergency number 101 and hinders the arrival of ambulance vehicles to the wounded” in the ongoing Israeli strikes.
Hamas’s armed wing has said it was fighting Israeli forces in two areas inside the Gaza Strip.
“We are confronting an Israeli ground incursion in Beit Hanoun (in the northern Gaza Strip) and in east Bureij (in the centre),” the news agency AFP quoted the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades as saying.
Israel has “expanded” its operations in the Gaza Strip with its air force conducting extensive strikes on Hamas’ tunnels and other infrastructure.
“In the last hours, we intensified the attacks in Gaza,” Israel’s military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised news briefing.
Operational Update with IDF Spokesperson https://t.co/3DenBv8hnS
– Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 27, 2023
“In addition to the attacks carried out in the last few days, ground forces are expanding their operations tonight,” he said.