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Israel Kills Hamas Commander Iyad Fathi Faik Sharir, IDF Says

   DailyWire.com
TOPSHOT - Smoke billows from Israeli air strikes in Gaza City, controlled by the Palestinian Hamas movement, on May 11, 2021. - Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza exchanged heavy fire, killing at least 26 Palestinians and two Israelis, in an escalation sparked by violent unrest at Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. (Photo by ANAS BABA / AFP) (Photo by ANAS BABA/AFP via Getty Images)
ANAS BABA/AFP via Getty Images

Israel has killed a top Hamas commander in a strike against the terror group.

“We just killed the commander of the Hamas anti-tank missile unit, Iyad Fathi Faik Sharir. He was in charge of carrying out anti-tank missile attacks on Israel. Our aircraft are currently striking additional terror targets in Gaza,” the Israel Defense Force tweeted Tuesday while carrying out attacks in the Gaza Strip.

Israel continued to launch attacks against the Hamas terror group in retaliation for hundreds of rockets Hamas fired upon Israel and its capital, Jerusalem. Israel began its strikes late Monday and has continued to hit Palestinian terrorist targets throughout the day Tuesday. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) hit more than 130 Hamas military installations, including weapons manufacturing and intelligence sites. The IDF said in a statement Tuesday:

Overnight, in response to continuous rocket fire from the Gaza Strip at Israeli territory, the IDF struck over 130 terror targets belonging to terror organizations in the Gaza Strip. In the first and second stages of the strikes, IDF fighter jets, attack helicopters and aircraft struck weapons manufacturing sites belonging to the Hamas terror organization. In the third stage, targets belonging to the Hamas terror organization and the Islamic Jihad were struck, including: weapons manufacturing sites and military facilities belonging to the Hamas terror organization and the Islamic Jihad. A Hamas battalion commander was also targeted.

In addition, as part of the strikes over the past day, the IDF struck a military intelligence building belonging to the Hamas terror organization, along with approximately 15 operatives of the organization. Likewise, IDF tanks and aircraft struck additional terror targets, among them: two offensive terror tunnels adjacent to the security fence. The Hamas terror organization deliberately places military targets in the heart of densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip. The IDF takes precautions to avoid harming civilians as much as possible during its operational activities.

Hamas fired dozens of rockets against Israel on Tuesday in an attempt to overwhelm Israel’s missile defense system, known as the Iron Dome. Most of the Hamas rockets were blown up in the air before they could cause much damage on the ground, but some got through. In one case, a Hamas rocket hit a school, injuring three Israelis. Authorities had earlier ordered the school evacuated due to the Hamas attacks and its position within 25 miles of the Gaza border.

The Israeli offensive has received significant attention in the United States. Democrats such as Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) accused Israel of committing terrorist acts for responding to the Palestinian attacks.

“Israeli air strikes killing civilians in Gaza is an act of terrorism. Palestinians deserve protection. Unlike Israel, missile defense programs, such as Iron Dome, don’t exist to protect Palestinian civilians,” Omar said. “It’s unconscionable to not condemn these attacks on the week of Eid.”

“Many will tell you Israel has a right to defend itself, to safety and security, but are silent on whether Palestinians have those rights too. Until we can defend the rights of Palestinians just as we do Israelis, we have no leg to stand on when it comes to justice or peace,” she added.

Over the weekend, Israel pushed the White House to stay out of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, fearing that President Joe Biden’s involvement would make the situation worse. As The Daily Wire reported:

Biden’s national security advisor Jake Sullivan spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Meir Ben-Shabbat, after hundreds of Palestinian rioters clashed with Israeli police Monday morning on the Temple Mount. During the conversation, Ben-Shabbat told Sullivan that Biden and other countries should let Israel handle the conflict, according to Axios.

Ben-Shabbat told Sullivan that “international intervention is a reward to the Palestinian rioters and those who back them who were seeking international pressure on Israel,” an Israeli official told Axios.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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