Israel said it struck a major blow against Hamas killing a commander in a deadly airstrike that obliterated buildings around a refugee camp in Gaza.
Ibrahim Biari was said to have died in the blast targeting an area inside the Jabaliya refugee camp, while authorities in Gaza said the explosion killed 50 people.
Israeli forces have also announced the most daily casualties since the ground war began as the assault into the territory continues. The IDF said nine soldiers have been killed, taking the death toll of combat inside Gaza to 11.
More than 8,500 Palestinians have been killed in the war, mostly women and minors, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Tuesday, without providing a breakdown between civilians and fighters. The figure is without precedent in decades of Israeli-Palestinian violence.
Over 1,400 people have died on the Israeli side, mainly civilians killed during Hamas’ initial attack, also an unprecedented figure. Palestinian militants also abducted around 240 people during their incursion and have continued firing rockets into Israel.
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