More than 500 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic jihad targets have been struck overnight as part of a massive blitz on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Air Force announced Monday.
In a series of social media posts, the Israeli Air Force provided some details, including saying that one of the numerous multi-story buildings that was hit was the “residence of Ruhi Mashtaa, secretary of the Hamas and part of the organization’s decision-making group,” which “contained a Hamas terror command center, from which he helped direct the infiltration into Israel.”
“Seven Hamas command centers and an Islamic Jihad command center were struck,” the Israeli Air Force said. “A building that was operationally used by a senior operative of the Hamas terrorist organization’s naval forces was also targeted.”
“Two Hamas operational assets were struck by an aircraft, one of them was located inside a mosque,” they added. “An Islamic Jihad asset located in a building in which terrorists operate and live was also targeted.”
ISRAEL HIT WITH ‘HUGE ROCKET BARRAGE’ AS WARNING SIRENS BLARE ACROSS COUNTRY
Palestinians inspect the rubble of the West mosque destroyed after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike at Shati refugee camp in Gaza City on Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. (AP/Adel Hana)
Overall, “IAF fighter jets and helicopters, aircraft and artillery struck over 500 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip,” the Israeli Air Force said, adding that “We will not stop until quiet is achieved for all residents of the State of Israel.”
Hours later, fresh rocket attacks were reported in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod.
“We saw multiple impacts across this heavily populated area,” Fox News Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst said, while reporting from the scene. “We took cover next to a building, but you could see the rockets coming off the Gaza Strip and slamming into buildings in this community.”
It was not immediately clear whether the attacks were carried out in retaliation for the overnight siege on the Gaza Strip.
LIVE UPDATES: ISRAEL AT WAR WITH HAMAS AFTER SURPRISE ATTACKS, AT LEAST 800 ISRAELIS DEAD
Israelis evacuate a site struck by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, southern Israel, on Monday, Oct. 9. (AP/Ohad Zwigenberg)
At least 800 people have been killed so far after Hamas started launching attacks on Israel since Saturday morning, Israeli media is reporting Monday.
Israel’s response has also been to cut resources to the Gaza Strip.
Palestinians inspect the rubble of the Yassin Mosque that was destroyed after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Monday. (AP/Adel Hana)
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Israeli Energy and Infrastructure Minister Israel Katz ordered that water be cut off from the Gaza Strip Monday, two days after Israel halted the flow of electricity and fuel to the area.
Fox News’ Peter Aitken,Chris Pandolfo and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
