The Israel Defence Forces on Tuesday claimed that it killed the commander of Hamas's Central Jabaliya Battalion, Ibrahim Biari, in a strike on the Jabalya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, CNN reported.
However, Hamas denied the presence of one of its leaders in the camp, spokesperson Hazem Qassem said in a statement.
IDF noted that Biari was one of the leaders responsible for sending 'Nukbha' terrorist operatives to Israel to conduct a terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, according to a CNN report.
Earlier, the IDF spokesperson Lt Colonel Richard Hecht said that the IDF was targeting "a very senior Hamas commander" in the area around the camp.
In a statement, the IDF said, "A short while ago, IDF fighter jets, acting on ISA intelligence, killed Ibrahim Biari, the Commander of Hamas' Central Jabaliya Battalion. Biari was one of the leaders responsible for sending 'Nukbha' terrorist operatives to Israel to carry out the murderous terror attack on October 7th. Numerous Hamas terrorists were hit in the strike."
The IDF said Ibrahim Biari oversaw all military operations in the northern Gaza Strip since it started its ground operation. He was also involved in multiple attacks on Israel going back decades. The IDF said it had carried out a wide-scale strike on terrorists and terror infrastructure belonging to the Central Jabalya Battalion, according to CNN report.
IDF in its strike damaged Hamas' command and control and its ability to direct military activity against IDF soldiers in Gaza. It said that a "large number of terrorists" were killed in the strike, which resulted in the collapse of the underground infrastructure that was being used by Hamas.
Taking to X, the IDF said, "Over the past day, IDF troops operated in a Hamas terrorist stronghold in Jabaliya, northern Gaza. The stronghold was used for training and execution of terrorism activities. During the ground activity, the troops eliminated approximately 50 terrorists, as well as destroyed entrances to terrorist tunnels and weapons."
At least 50 people were killed in the strike and subsequent collapse, The Times of Israel reported, citing Palestinian reports. The IDF reiterated its call on the residents of the area to move south for their safety, according to the report.
On Tuesday, Israel Defence Forces in a statement on X said another barrage of rockets just launched at Tel Aviv and central Israel.
Meanwhile, Israel Defence Forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that the fighting in the Gaza Strip is becoming "more complex" as soldiers operate deeper into the region, The Times of Israel reported.
He said, "This is complex hand-to-hand combat. In the fierce battles that took place today, we lost troops." Hagari said two Israeli soldiers were killed on Tuesday as troops worked to capture a Hamas stronghold in Jabaliya, according to The Times of Israel report.
Speaking on an intercepted missile and several drones launched from Yemen towards Israel on Tuesday, he said, "There are many elements in the region that are under Iranian orders such as the Houthis." He noted that they try to challenge Israel and divert their attention away from the war in Gaza.
Hagari further said, "We remain focused on the fighting in Gaza." He said that the IDF "will know how to respond, at the time and place of our choosing."
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