The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it had eliminated Assem Abu Raqaba, the head of the air campaign for the Palestinian armed political faction Hamas, while deploying ground troops in the Gaza Strip.
On the 28th (local time), the IDF said through its Telegram channel, “Overnight, based on information from the IDF and the Israeli security authorities, IDF fighter jets conducted an airstrike on Assem Abu Rakaba, the head of the Hamas air force,” adding, “Abu Rakaba was shot by a Hamas drone. “I was in charge of UAV, paraglider, aerial detection, and air defense,” he said.
“He participated in the planning of the massacre in the area near the Gaza Strip on October 7, ordered paraglider infiltration by terrorists, and led a drone attack against the IDF,” he explained.
On the 7th, Hamas launched a large-scale surprise operation, firing thousands of rockets at Israel and infiltrating Israeli territory using paragliders. About 1,400 people in Israel were killed in Hamas attacks, and about 220 were taken hostage.
A night operation (thermal imaging camera) released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Israel Defense Forces Telegram CaptureIn response, Israel immediately declared the destruction of Hamas and launched a counteroffensive, continuing airstrikes for three weeks. Ahead of the full-scale deployment of ground forces, the IDF has been conducting ground operations of increased scale for three consecutive days.
The IDF also said, “Overnight, IDF fighters conducted airstrikes on 150 underground targets in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. “This includes terrorist tunnels, underground combat spaces and additional underground infrastructure,” he said, adding, “Several Hamas terrorists have been eliminated.”
The IDF posted a video of the airstrike in each Telegram post.
The IDF is preparing to deploy 300,000 troops, including reserve forces, to the Gaza Strip. However, since Hamas is building an extensive network of tunnels underground in the Gaza Strip, it is expected to be the biggest obstacle to the IDF’s ground battle.
Choi Jae-ho,
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.