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Displaced Palestinian families fled south after Israel's military carried out a "precise operation” at Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital early March 18. (Video: Obtained by Reuters)

High-ranking Hamas commander killed in Israeli strike, White House says; IDF raids al-Shifa Hospital

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Marwan Issa, the deputy commander of Hamas’s military wing, was killed in an Israeli strike this month in central Gaza, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed Monday. Earlier Monday, Israel’s military said it was carrying out a “precise operation” at Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital, citing Israeli intelligence that the complex was being used by senior Hamas militants. The Gaza Health Ministry said communications were cut and reported people killed or injured. The Washington Post could not immediately verify either side’s claims.

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The Israel Defense Forces said that it exchanged fire with armed individuals in the hospital complex and arrested 80 people, and that one Israeli soldier was killed in the operation. Hamas accused Israel of directly targeting hospital complex buildings without concern for patients.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced a call by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) for fresh elections in Israel, describing it as “totally inappropriate” during an interview that aired Sunday on CNN.
Netanyahu also said Sunday that Israel would push ahead with plans to attack Rafah, the southern Gaza city where more than 1 million displaced Palestinians have sought shelter.
Speaking at a St. Patrick’s Day event, President Biden said a cease-fire deal is urgently needed to allow more aid into Gaza and to bring hostages home. A move toward a two-state solution is “the only path for lasting peace and security,” he added.
At least 31,726 people have been killed and 73,792 injured in Gaza since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack and says 250 soldiers have been killed since the start of its military operation in Gaza.
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The Israel Defense Forces said that it exchanged fire with armed individuals in the hospital complex and arrested 80 people, and that one Israeli soldier was killed in the operation. Hamas accused Israel of directly targeting hospital complex buildings without concern for patients.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced a call by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) for fresh elections in Israel, describing it as “totally inappropriate” during an interview that aired Sunday on CNN.
Netanyahu also said Sunday that Israel would push ahead with plans to attack Rafah, the southern Gaza city where more than 1 million displaced Palestinians have sought shelter.
Speaking at a St. Patrick’s Day event, President Biden said a cease-fire deal is urgently needed to allow more aid into Gaza and to bring hostages home. A move toward a two-state solution is “the only path for lasting peace and security,” he added.
At least 31,726 people have been killed and 73,792 injured in Gaza since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack and says 250 soldiers have been killed since the start of its military operation in Gaza.
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Israel-Gaza war

Israel-Gaza war: Israel’s government warned that Hamas “is continuing to hold to unrealistic demands” as it prepared to review the latest cease-fire proposal Friday. A ship carrying 200 tons of food — the first attempt to deliver aid by way of a maritime corridor — began offloading its cargo into Gaza. The boat was dispatched by the U.S. nonprofit World Central Kitchen, founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, and the Spanish search-and-rescue group Open Arms.

Middle East conflict: Tensions in the region continue to rise. As Israeli troops aim to take control of the Gaza-Egypt border crossing, officials in Cairo warn that the move would undermine the 1979 peace treaty. Meanwhile, there’s a diplomatic scramble to avert full-scale war between Israel and Lebanon.

U.S. involvement: U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria killed dozens of Iranian-linked militants, according to Iraqi officials. The strikes were the first round of retaliatory action by the Biden administration for an attack in Jordan that killed three U.S. service members.