Israel eliminates Hamas commander by bombing Gaza's largest refugee camp
Israel on Tuesday bombed Gaza's largest refugee camp in Jabalia, killing at least 50 people, Reuters reported. The airstrike on the densely populated area eliminated Ibrahim Biari, the commander of Hamas's Central Jabalia Battalion, Israel said. The death toll is likely to rise as medics were struggling to treat casualties and had to set up operating rooms in hospital corridors.
Why does this story matter?
Israel has been accused of carrying out a genocide in Gaza since October 7, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing 1,400 people and taking around 220 hostages. Over 8,500 people have been killed in the war, including 3,542 children and 2,187 women. Israel and its allies have justified the attacks, calling it the country's "right to defend" and wipe out Hamas.
Israel used commander's presence as excuse to kill civilians: Hamas
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) called Biari the ringleader of the October 7 attack. However, Hamas said the Jabalia camp didn't have any senior commanders there and accused Israel of using it as a pretext to kill civilians. It said around 400 people were wounded in the attack. Israel has categorically rejected the calls for a ceasefire, calling it equal to surrendering to terrorism.
TW: Al Jazeera engineer loses 19 family members in attack
Egypt agrees to open Rafah crossing
Egypt denounced Israel's "inhumane targeting of a residential block" and agreed for the first time to open the Rafah border crossing for the treatment of the wounded. In Washington, anti-war protesters interrupted a Congress hearing over providing more aid to Israel by raising red-stained hands and calling for a ceasefire. Meanwhile, Yemen's Houthis have formally declared war against Israel, escalating fears of a spillover.
Gaza has become a graveyard for thousands of kids: UNICEF
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Gaza, which has been under Israeli occupation since 1967, has turned into a graveyard for thousands of children. Apart from the besieged enclave, Israel has killed 122 Palestinians in the West Bank. The UN Human Rights New York Office director, Craig Moniker, resigned, citing the timidity of the organization's key members against "a textbook case of genocide."
