Iraqi militia claims drone attacks on Israeli sites in Jordan Valley

Israeli airstrike in Gaza kills three, injures 40 as tensions escalate

BAGHDAD — The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a Shiite militia group, on Monday claimed responsibility for carrying out two drone strikes on Israeli sites in the Jordan Valley, which forms Jordan’s border with Israel and the West Bank.

The group said in separate statements that the strikes were carried out “in solidarity with our people in Palestine and Lebanon,” pledging to continue targeting “the enemy’s strongholds at an escalating pace.”

The statements did not provide further details about the targeted sites or report any casualties, Xinhua news agency reported.

Also read: Iran rejects claims linking Tehran to Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel

Since the outbreak of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella body for Iranian-backed Iraqi militias, has repeatedly attacked Israeli and US positions in the region to show support for Palestinians in Gaza.

The militia has stepped up its attacks on Israel after the latter intensified strikes against Hezbollah across Lebanon on September 23.

Israeli airstrike in Gaza kills three, injures 40 as tensions escalate

GAZA — At least three Palestinians were killed on Monday in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the tents of displaced persons in Deir al-Balah, located in the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian sources.

Medical sources indicate that Israeli aircraft targeted the tents of displaced individuals near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, resulting in three fatalities and 40 injuries. A spokesperson from the hospital noted that the emergency department was overwhelmed by the influx of casualties.

In a press statement, the Hamas-run government media office in Gaza condemned the Israeli military for the attack, holding both the Israeli army and the US administration fully responsible for the continued violence. The statement called on the international community to pressure Israel into halting its actions, Xinhua news agency reported.

In response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Monday said the Israeli Air Force had conducted a “precise strike” on militants operating inside a command and control centre in the Deir al-Balah area.

Read more: Death toll from Israeli attacks in Lebanon reaches 2,255

According to the IDF, the command centre was embedded within a compound that had previously served as Shuhadah Al-Aqsa Hospital, also known as Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, and was being used by Hamas militants to coordinate and execute attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel.

Israel’s large-scale military offensive in Gaza was launched in retaliation for a Hamas assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, during which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 250 were taken hostage.

As of Sunday, the Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 42,227, according to Gaza-based health authorities.