Continued Abuse of Civilian Infrastructure; Hamas Command Center Bombed Under 'Safed' School in Gaza

Israeli Air Force fighters targeted several Hamas members who were in a command and control center of the Islamist group located under the 'Safed' school in Gaza City. According to the Israeli army, this center was used by 'Hamas terrorists to plan and execute terrorist operations against Israeli army forces and the state of Israel.' Before this attack, the Israeli army stated that it had taken 'many measures to reduce the likelihood of harming civilians, including the use of precise air weapons and other intelligence data.' Israel once again accused Hamas of systematically violating international law and conducting operations from within civilian infrastructure and shelters in the Gaza Strip, ruthlessly exploiting Gazan citizens for its terrorist activities. In the conclusion of its statement, the Israeli army emphasized that it would continue to decisively confront Palestinian terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip. Hamas's practice of using civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, and mosques for military purposes, as well as creating tunnels beneath these locations, has been criticized repeatedly in recent years, especially following the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel. The Israeli airstrike on the Hamas command center occurred just hours after the announcement of the killing of six Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas. Herzi Halevi, Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, visited the site where the bodies of the six hostages killed by Hamas were recovered. Halevi, who was accompanied by the commander of the southern Israeli army during this visit, met with field commanders and soldiers to assess the situation and discuss future plans. The killing of the six Israeli hostages by Hamas has faced condemnation from Israeli, American, British, and European officials. Also see: International condemnation of the killing of six Israeli hostages; Netanyahu to Hamas: You will pay the price. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, expressed condolences to the families of the six hostages killed by Palestinian militants in a speech in Hebrew on Sunday, addressing Hamas and its leaders: 'You will pay the price.' Additionally, Joe Biden, the President of the United States, stated in a statement that the news of the killing of Hersh Goldberg Polin, an Israeli-American hostage abducted by Hamas, left him 'devastated and furious.' Biden emphasized: 'Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes. And we will continue our round-the-clock efforts to reach an agreement for the release of the remaining hostages.' In this context, Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of the UK, and David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, condemned the horrific killing of the six innocent hostages in Gaza in separate statements and expressed condolences to their families. Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, condemned the killing of the six Israeli hostages by Hamas, adding that these innocent young men and women should have been returned to their loved ones. The names of the six hostages killed by Hamas are Hersh Goldberg Polin, 23, Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Uri Danino, 25, Alex Lubanov, 32, Carmel Gat, 40, and Almog Sarusi, 27. 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 the hostages abducted by Hamas. The Hamas group is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the UK, Israel, Canada, Japan, and several other countries. Peace negotiations and the release of hostages are at risk; Netanyahu insists on military presence at the Philadelphi crossing. The polio vaccination campaign has begun in Gaza. The Israeli army announced the end of a three-week operation in southern Gaza: six kilometers of tunnels were destroyed; 250 militants were killed. Israel: Hamas has forged poll results to appear popular among its leaders. David Cohen: The fate of ceasefire negotiations in Gaza rests with the leader of the Hamas group. Israeli tanks advance in Khan Younis alongside extensive operations in the West Bank. Israel rescued one of the hostages from Hamas captivity; military operations continue in central and southern Gaza.