Israel Reports the Killing of the Head of the Military Branch of a Palestinian Group in Gaza

On Thursday, October 19, an Israeli army spokesperson announced that "the head of the military branch of the terrorist organization Popular Resistance Committees" in Rafah, Gaza Strip, was killed by Israeli forces. Daniel Hagari wrote on X that following an Israeli Air Force operation aided by intelligence from Shin Bet (the internal security agency), Rafat Harf Hussein Abu Halal, the head of the military branch of this organization, was killed. The Times of Israel noted that this group is the third largest in Gaza after Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The Israeli army has killed several commanders of militant groups in Gaza following Hamas attacks on southern Israel on October 7. Hagari also wrote that "the Israeli army continues its operations across the Gaza Strip and on Wednesday, October 18, with the help of Shin Bet, destroyed hundreds of Hamas terrorist infrastructures." Hamas, which controls Gaza, has accused Israel of attacking residential areas and killing civilians, but the Israeli army claims it only targets military objectives. The Israeli army accuses Hamas and other Palestinian militants of using civilians as human shields. Menashe Amir: The Israel-Hamas war impacts the future of the Middle East and groups supported by the Islamic Republic. On the line: The consequences of Iran's involvement in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Fire exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon have intensified. The President of Egypt opposed the relocation of Palestinians to the Sinai Peninsula.