Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., January 3, 2024)
The IDF forces continued the integrated ground maneuver in the Gaza Strip, focusing on Gaza City in the north and the Khan Yunis area in the south. The Palestinian media reported that during the night intense attacks were carried out in the central Gaza Strip, in east and west Khan Yunis, and in north Rafah.The most prominent event was the targeted attack in Beirut which killed Saleh al-'Arouri, deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, who was responsible for Hamas terrorist activity in Judea and Samaria.. The killing provoked many reactions among the Palestinians, Hezbollah, Iran and the pro-Iranian militias. Hezbollah expressed sorrow at Saleh al-'Arouri's death, calling it a dangerous development in the war between Israel and the "resistance axis." UNIFIL and the Lebanese government expressed concern about the expansion of the war. The prime minister of Lebanon called for a complaint to be submitted to the UN Security Council.Following the elimination of Saleh al-'Arouri, demonstrations and protest marches took place throughout Judea and Samaria, Iran and pro-Iranian militias responded to al-'Arouri's killing and said they fully supported the Palestinians.
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