IDF Eliminates Ahmad Al Ghandour
On Sunday morning, Hamas admitted that the commander of the northern Gaza Strip, Ahmad Al Ghandour, who was once the right-hand man of Hamas’ military wing head Muhammad Daf, was eliminated by the Israel Defense Forces before the start of the ceasefire.
Also read: Palestinian Attackers Planned Systematic Sexual Assaults Against Israeli Women on October 7th
Prior to his death, Al Ghandour served a 7-year jail sentence in Israel from 1988 to 1994. he was among the Hamas members that staged a coup in 2006, ousting the Fatah party to take control of Gaza. Moreover, Al Ghandour was accused of capturing Gilad Shalit, the former MIA soldier of the IDF.
In February 2003, Al Ghandour was involved in clashes with the Israeli army near the Dogit settlement. Four IDF soldiers were killed at that time. In response, the IDF destroyed his house two days later.
In mid-July 2006, Al Ghandour escaped death in an IDF failed assassination attempt. Twelve years later, his first son Ali Ahandour, who was an active member of Hamas was eliminated by the Israeli army. In response, Al Ghandour ordered Hamas fighters to launch fire on the West Negev and Sderot settlements on August 8, 2018.
Even before the establishment of Hamas in 1987, Al Ghandour had already purpotrated attacks on Israel many times. This made him popular among Palestinians, earning him the head of Hamas’ military wing position. Al Ghandour has been serving as the Commander of the Northern Gaza since 2005.
Al Ghandour Orders Suicide Attacks
During his tenure, he sent several terrorists to execute suicide attacks on Israel. One such attack happened in January 2005, which involved a suicide bomber identified as Rim Riashi, who killed himself along with four Israelis. Several others were injured in the incident.
While Hamas reported the death of Al Ghandour alone, the Israel Defense Force said on Friday morning that it had killed four more Hamas officials before the ceasefire.
Israel Accused Hamas of Blocking Aid Trucks
Meanwhile, as Israel continues to anticipate the release of more hostages today, the Jewish State is accusing Hamas of blocking Humanitarian aid from reaching northern Gaza. In an X post, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories said aid trucks were blocked at a Hamas checkpoint earlier today.
GRAPHIC WARNING October 7th Raw Video Footage
Credit: HamasVideo.com
How This All Started – October 7th Massacres and Kidnappings
The Israel-Hamas War of 2023 began abruptly on October 7th, when Hamas orchestrated a comprehensive land, sea, and air assault on Israel from the Gaza Strip. This attack, coinciding with the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret, caught many by surprise, especially as many IDF soldiers were on leave.
The assault was unprecedented in its scale, launching over 2,200 rockets in 20 minutes, breaching the border with explosives and bulldozers, and even infiltrating via motorboats and paragliders.
This devastating attack resulted in over 1,200 deaths, multiple instances of sexual violence and rape, mutilations, kidnappings of babies, women and children and various other atrocities perpetrated on Israelis by the Palestinian attackers and mobs, marking it as the deadliest day for Israel since its independence.
In response, the IDF declared a state of alert and began mobilizing its reserves, calling up more than 350,000 over the following days. By October 8th, Israel had declared itself in a state of war, the first time since the Yom Kippur War in 1973.
Air strikes were initiated in the Gaza Strip, and a total siege was imposed, cutting off essential supplies. The war saw the difficulty in targeting terrorists and their weapon caches due to Gaza’s intricate network of tunnels, complicating rescue efforts for the hostages taken by Hamas.
While the war primarily centered on the Gaza Strip, it wasn’t confined to it. IDF intensified its raids in the West Bank and conducted airstrikes for the first time since the second intifada. Skirmishes with Hezbollah near the Lebanese border raised fears of a second front.
Even the Houthi forces in Yemen attempted strikes on southern Israel, indicating a broader coordination among Iran-led resistance factions.
