Israel confirms: night attack kills Issam Abu Rukbeh
Issam Abu Rukbeh, the commander of Hamas' air force, was killed in an overnight bombardment of the Gaza Strip from Friday to Saturday. The Israeli army and the Shin Bet counterintelligence service confirmed this in a joint statement on Saturday morning.
Rukbeh held responsibility for numerous matters, including Hamas' air defense systems, drone attacks, and combat operations using paragliders.
Rukbeh played a key role in the planning and execution of a terrorist attack on Israel, which took place on October 7, as reported by the Israeli armed forces and quoted by the Times of Israel.
The attack launched by Hamas on October 7 from the Gaza Strip resulted in the largest number of Israeli fatalities since 1973, when Israel was at war with the Syrian-Egyptian coalition. During the current 21-day conflict, approximately 1,400 Israeli citizens and over 7,300 Gaza Strip residents have lost their lives.
Israel ramps up operations in the Gaza Strip
On Saturday morning, Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, reported their forces encountered Israeli troops in the northern part of the Palestinian enclave. They are prepared to resist any Israeli ground offensive, according to a report by the Jerusalem Post.
Clashes are reportedly occurring between the city of Beit Hanoun and the al-Bureij refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, involving soldiers from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas fighters.
Earlier, Palestinian media reported Israeli tanks moving into positions within the Gaza Strip. Simultaneously, on Friday evening, the Israeli air force launched strikes on Hamas targets in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. A little before 2 a.m. local time in moshav Netiv ha-Asara, which is on the border of the northern Gaza Strip, alarm sirens rang out.
On Friday evening, Israeli forces' spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, announced an expansion of the military operation in the Gaza Strip. At the same time, telecommunications services in the Palestinian enclave reported disruptions in mobile and internet connectivity due to intensive bombardments.
