Gaza - July 18, 2024

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The Israeli army announced Thursday that 20 suspected members of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) were killed in a new bombardment of the Gaza Strip, as part of the offensive unleashed against the enclave after the attacks carried out on October 7 by the Islamist group and other Palestinian factions.

He said the dead were members of the Shati Battalion, including a Hamas sniper who was allegedly involved in the death on 9 July of Israeli soldier Tal Lahat in an attack in Gaza City, in the north of the enclave.

The suspect has been identified as Muhamad abu Khatab, a "platoon commander in the Shati Battalion", which Israel blames for several attacks, according to a statement published by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on its website. Hamas has so far not commented on these reports.

Israel unleashed an offensive against the Strip after the 7 October attacks, which left nearly 1,200 people dead and some 240 kidnapped. The Hamas-controlled authorities in Gaza have reported more than 38,800 dead, in addition to more than 560 Palestinians killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in operations by Israeli forces or in attacks by settlers.


SHOTLIST
1. Israeli troops in military operations as seen from the Gaza border.