Israeli Attacks on 40 Hamas Gathering and Command Centers

The Israeli army announced on Friday, January 14, that over the past 24 hours, it targeted approximately 40 locations of Hamas's "terrorist operations and command and control centers" across Gaza in its airstrikes. The report states that the joint operation of the Israeli Air Force and the Southern Command was based on information provided by the military intelligence and the internal security service (Shin Bet). The Israeli army claims that dozens of Hamas operatives had gathered at the attacked locations and had planned and executed attacks against Israeli soldiers in Gaza and against the state of Israel from there. Some of the targeted sites are located in schools in Gaza, which have been used as shelters for Gazan refugees. The Israeli army reiterated that Hamas systematically uses existing civilian infrastructure in Gaza for terrorist purposes. The use of precision munitions and aerial surveillance during operations are among the measures the Israeli army has adhered to in order to minimize civilian casualties. Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups have repeatedly been accused in recent years, especially since the October 7 terrorist attack, of misusing civilian infrastructure for military purposes and using civilians as "human shields." The placement of command centers in hospitals and mosques, as well as the concealment and continuation of military activities by Palestinian militants in humanitarian areas designed to minimize civilian casualties, are among the issues that Hamas denies despite repeated documentation and evidence. The Israeli army's invasion of Gaza followed Hamas's October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the abduction of over 250 individuals, including women, the elderly, and children. Israeli officials have repeatedly emphasized that the war against Hamas and other Palestinian militants in Gaza will continue until Hamas is destroyed and all kidnapped hostages are freed. The United States, the European Union, Israel, and many other countries consider Hamas a terrorist organization. Ongoing ceasefire negotiations and the release of hostages; Hamas's optimism, Netanyahu's green light; a 400% increase in the arrest of Iranian government spies in Israel; several senior Hamas officials were killed as a result of Israeli airstrikes; Hamas launched two missiles at Israel in the early hours of 2025.