Continued Clashes in Gaza, West Bank, and Lebanon Border; Israel: Hamas Will Pay a Heavy Price for Killing Hostages

Nearly 11 months after Palestinian militants attacked Israel, clashes between the Israeli army and Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, as well as with Hezbollah in Lebanon, continue. According to 'The Times of Israel', Israeli fighter jets targeted a Hamas and Islamic Jihad command and control center used by these groups, which are supported by the Islamic Republic, located in the humanitarian area of Deir al-Balah in Gaza on Wednesday night, September 14. According to the Israeli army's statement, Hamas was using this terrorist infrastructure in this civilian area to attack Israeli soldiers and the country, and the airstrike was carried out to eliminate an 'immediate threat'. The Israeli army's statement adds that before carrying out these attacks, precision munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence were utilized to minimize civilian casualties. The Israeli army has repeatedly accused Hamas of using civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and religious sites, for military activities, providing documentation such as photos and videos. The practice of Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups using civilians as human shields has been criticized by Western countries and Israel over the years. Meanwhile, Israel Katz, Israel's foreign minister, while sharing a headline from an Axios article about the White House's doubts regarding Hamas's willingness to reach an agreement with Israel, wrote: 'Anyone who calmly murders six hostages is not seeking an agreement.' He emphasized the importance of unity to free the hostages, stating: 'Hamas must pay a heavy price for this horrific crime - Israel will respond with full force.' As clashes continue, the second phase of the polio vaccination campaign in southern Gaza has begun. So far, 187,000 Palestinian children have received the polio vaccine. The United Nations reported that the vaccination process for children in Gaza, which is conducted with limited pauses agreed upon by Israel and Hamas, has been successful so far. Meanwhile, Israeli forces conducted an anti-terror operation in the city of Jericho in the West Bank on Wednesday night. In Tubas, according to the Israeli army, Israeli fighter jets 'eliminated a Hamas terrorist cell involved in shooting operations against security forces.' According to the Israeli army's statement, seven Palestinian militants were killed in this operation, including Mohammed Zakaria Zbeidi, son of the famous Hamas commander Zakaria Zbeidi. In Far'a, an Israeli fighter jet targeted a group of Palestinian militants who were shooting at Israeli security forces, killing one of them. As clashes intensify in the West Bank, especially in recent weeks, senior Israeli officials have emphasized their determination to decisively counter destabilizing activities by the Islamic Republic and Hamas, which are attempting to create a new front against Israel through arms smuggling to refugee camps. On the other hand, clashes and exchanges of fire between Hezbollah in Lebanon, a proxy group of Tehran, and the Israeli army continue. According to a report from the Hebrew-language account of the Israeli army on the social media platform 'X', the country's air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 'two suspicious targets' that were flying from Lebanon towards Israel. Additionally, five more rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Israel, which did not result in casualties. This comes as Hezbollah confirmed the death of another member named Abbas Anis Ayoub. According to The Times of Israel, since the beginning of the Hezbollah-Israel clashes following Hamas's terrorist attack on October 7 of last year, 433 members of this proxy arm of the Islamic Republic, including several of its senior commanders, have been killed due to Israeli attacks. Hezbollah's attacks on northern Israel have caused the displacement of tens of thousands of Israeli citizens and the deaths of several soldiers and civilians. During the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, over 1,200 Israeli citizens, including women, children, and the elderly, were killed, and more than 250 others were taken hostage. Following this terrorist attack, Israel launched an offensive on Gaza to destroy Hamas and recover hostages taken by Hamas. The Hamas group is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Israel, Canada, Japan, and several other countries worldwide.