Israel announced on Saturday that it had attempted to assassinate Ali Al-Amoudi, a senior Hamas leader, in an airstrike in the Rimal area of Gaza. This attack, which local officials reported resulted in the deaths of five people, including four women, was carried out on the anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attack. This day is recognized as the deadliest day for Israel.
Targeting Ali Al-Amoudi
Israeli military forces stated that the primary target of this attack was Ali Al-Amoudi, described as the "right-hand man" of Yahya Sinwar, the former head of Hamas, and is said to have played a role in planning the October 7 attack. These forces also indicated that they are investigating whether Al-Amoudi was killed or injured in this attack.
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Israel added that this attack was carried out after learning of Al-Amoudi's presence in an apartment building, considering this a reason for Hamas's use of civilians as human shields. The military statement read: "Today, Al-Amoudi is the highest-ranking Hamas official in the Gaza Strip and is directly involved in Hamas's terrorist activities and the organization's reconstruction for war."
Civilian Casualties and Reactions
According to reports from Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, the bodies of five people and several wounded individuals were transferred to this hospital following the airstrike. Among the deceased were two women and their daughters, as well as one man. Additionally, two of the deceased were Christian. The funeral for these two women, Maysa Abudawood (56 years old) and her 36-year-old daughter Maryam Al-Najjar, was held at the small Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza.
Eyhab Iyad, a relative of these women, stated in an interview that they were at home and were not engaging in any aggressive actions. He added: "If a child holds a stone, they call him a terrorist, but Israel destroys everything with its most powerful weapons." Currently, around 1,000 Christians, mostly from the Orthodox denomination, live in the Palestinian territories.
The October 7 attacks led by Hamas resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people. In response to these attacks, Israel launched a large-scale operation in Gaza that resulted in widespread destruction and claimed the lives of over 74,200 people. According to the statistics from the Gaza Ministry of Health, these figures are considered credible by the United Nations.
Israeli forces have killed over 1,440 people since the ceasefire was announced a year ago. During this time, Israeli forces have also reported the deaths of five of their own personnel.
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