A TOP Hamas commander, responsible for sending militants to carry out the deadly October 7 massacre has been killed, the IDF has claimed.
Ebrahim Biari, the commander of the Jabalia center battalion was struck by IDF warplanes during an Israeli airstrike on the terrorist stronghold earlier today.
A top Hamas commander Ebrahim Biari was wiped out in the Israeli airstrike today, the IDF has claimed
APThe Israeli airstrike left buildings reduced to rubble[/caption]
GettyThe IDF claimed they had wiped out a Hamas stronghold[/caption]
IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said: “During this operation, many terrorists were killed.
“Terrorists who were with him inside the building as well as under the building in tunnels.
“The targeting of the building [Hamas commander Ibrahim Biari] was in led to destruction in other buildings because of this extensive underground infrastructure.
“The purpose of that infrastructure was to carry out attacks against Israel and that infrastructure has collapsed.”
The IDF also said Biari was one of the Hamas leaders responsible for sending militants to carry out the deadly 7 October attacks in Israel.
The deadly massacre at the Supernova music festival in southern Gaza saw over 260 people killed, as footage emerged of party-goers hiding in orchards as gunshots rang out.
Biari was also accused of carrying out the 2004 attack on Ashdod Port, as well as directing rocket fire at Israel and advancing numerous attacks on the IDF over the last two decades.
Today’s airstrike saw over 50 people killed, as Israel claimed to have “eliminated” a terrorist stronghold in Gaza.
An IDF statement read: “IDF forces under the command of the Givati Brigade took over a Hamas military stronghold in West Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip, in-ground operations today“.
They added that “about 50 terrorists were eliminated”.
Pictures show apocalyptic scenes, with masses of devastated onlookers gathered around two huge craters in the street.
Some civilians were seen climbing into the holes as they desperately searched for any survivors.
Dozens of white body bags lined the streets, awaiting burial at the hospital near the base that was hit.
But earlier today, Hamas claimed it was the Jabalia refugee camp that was the target of the strike – adding that over 50 civilians had lost their lives.
“More than 50 martyrs and around 150 wounded and dozens under the rubble, in a heinous Israeli massacre that targeted a large area of homes in Jabalia camp in the northern Strip,” a Gazan health ministry statement said.
If confirmed, the number will increase an already climbing death toll in Gaza – which Hamas earlier declared had topped 8,525.
The majority of those killed are thought to be civilians.
Previous Hamas claims of death tolls caused by Israeli strikes have been widely called into question.
Earlier this month, Hamas claimed an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza hospital killed 500.
But Israel has hit back with a furious denial – insisting the devastation was the result of a rocket misfired by Hamas allies Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The Israeli claims were backed by US president Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak, and the huge death toll was widely disputed.
APHamas claimed the base was a refugee camp[/caption]