Tel Aviv [Israel], October 22 (ANI): The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Sunday said that IDF and Israel Securities Authorities carried out an aerial strike at the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist compound in the Al-Ansar Mosque in Jenin.
Taking to X, the Israel Defence Forces said that the recent IDF intel revealed that the Mosque was used as a command centre to plan and carry out terrorist attacks against civilians.
In a post shared on X, the IDF stated, “The IDF & ISA just conducted an aerial strike on a Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist compound in the Al-Ansar Mosque in Jenin. Recent IDF intel revealed that the Mosque was used as a command center to plan and execute terrorist attacks against civilians.”
In another post on X, the IDF stated that its soldiers hit a terrorist cell trying to launch anti-tank missiles towards northern Israel. The IDF in a post shared on X stated, “Hamas wants the world to believe that they are a humanitarian organization. Don’t fall for their trap.”
In the video posted by IDF on X, the Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said, “Hamas in the past 24 hours, as well as the days before, but especially in the last 24 hours has been trying to present itself as a humanitarian organization to the world after the release of the two hostages yesterday. The world cannot forget Hamas is worse than ISIS.”
The Israeli Air Force stressed that Hamas uses the residents of the Gaza Strip as human shields and launches rockets from civilian infrastructure. Taking to X, the Israeli Air Force stated, “The Hamas terrorist organization uses the residents of the Gaza Strip as human shields, and launches rockets from civilian infrastructure, areas and buildings in the Gaza Strip.”
The IDF said that they have identified about 550 failed launches fired by Hamas that landed in Gaza since October 7. Taking to X, the IDF stated, “Since Oct 7, the IDF has identified about 550 failed launches fired by Hamas that landed inside Gaza. The Hamas terrorist organization launches rockets from civilian infrastructure, areas and buildings in Gaza, injuring their own civilians.”
On Saturday, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that it will increase airstrikes on Gaza “from today (Saturday),” CNN reported. While addressing a briefing in Tel Aviv, he said, “We will increase our strikes, minimize the risk to our troops in the next stages of the war, and we will intensify the strikes, starting from today.”
Asked whether Israel has halted its ground operation in Gaza due to US pressure, Hagari stated that Israeli forces will launch such operations when the conditions for the military are optimal. He stated that IDF continued to carry out air strikes over the past day, according to a CNN report.
“Our main effort in Gaza is to eliminate the terrorists, and especially those involved in the massacre on Saturday two weeks ago,” he said, referring to the attack carried out by Hamas on October 7, CNN reported.
He further said, “We continue to destroy terror targets ahead of the next stage of the war, and are focusing on our readiness to the next stage.” Hagari stressed that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is “not good.” He also updated the number of soldiers killed and hostages taken, The Jerusalem Post reported.
He said, “The humanitarian situation in Gaza is not good. We continue to tell residents to move south. The humanitarian aid will only go to the south, while the IDF continues to step up attacks against Hamas in the north.”
According to The Jerusalem Post report, Hagari said that Israel had been in touch with the families of 307 fallen soldiers so far. He raised the number of hostages to 210 and added that Israel continues to gather intelligence and inform families as soon as they know something new.” (ANI)
Israeli PM Netanyahu meets Italian counterpart, Cypriot President, says, “We have to defeat this barbarism”
Tel Aviv [Israel], October 22 (ANI): Amid the conflict in Gaza and the looming ground assault on the terror group Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides on Saturday.
Calling on the Italian PM, Netanyahu said, “We have to defeat this barbarism,” adding that this battle is between the forces of civilization and “really monstrous barbarians who murdered, mutilated, raped, beheaded, and burned innocent people, babies, and grandmothers.”
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“This is a test, a test of civilization, and we will win. And we expect all the countries that lined up to fight ISIS, to line up and fight Hamas because Hamas is the new ISIS,” the Israeli PM’s office posted from its handle on social media platform X. Meloni assured Netanyahu of Italy‘s support for Israel.
“We defend the rights of Israel of defending itself… for its people. We absolutely understand that terrorism has to be fought, and we believe that you are able to do that in the best way, and we are different from those terrorists,” the Italian PM said.
Netanyahu then met Cypriot President Christodoulides, stressing that it was a “battle of civilisation against barbarism”.
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“What we saw in Gaza, along with our communities, is beyond description. It is savagery that is the worst that we’ve seen against Jewish people since the Holocaust. They captivated people, raped women,” he said at a joint press briefing with the Cypriot President. “Our battle against Hamas is the battle of civilization against barbarism,” Netanyahu added.
Invoking his old address at the UN, during which he drew a parallel between Hamas and ISIS, the Israeli PM’s office posted on X, “Hamas, as I said in the UN ten years ago, almost a decade ago, Hamas is ISIS. People didn’t believe me. Now they know it’s actually worse than ISIS, as President Biden said, and Chancellor Scholz said that Hamas are the new Nazis. The world united to fight the Nazis. The civilised world united to fight ISIS. And now, the civilised world should stand with us as we defeat ISIS. This is our goal.”
Earlier, US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also visited Israel, amid the ongoing retaliation to the November 7 terror attacks, which have, so far, claimed more than 1,400 lives. (ANI)
