Airstrikes launched by the Israel Defense Force (IDF) have killed 26 people and wounded an additional 93. The strikes hit a mosque and school where people were sheltering inside the Gaza strip early on Sunday morning, local time.
The IDF said it conducted “precise strikes on Hamas terrorists” who were operating control centers in the Ibn Rushd school and the Shuhada al-Aqsa Mosque, which are located in central Gaza. However Hamas rejected the allegations it uses civilian facilities such as schools, hospitals and mosques for military purposes.
“The mosque has been here for 20 years, and the neighbourhood has displaced people,” imam Ahmed Fleet said as he retrieved Korans from the debris.
Israel has intensified its bombardment on Beirut. The explosions echoed across the city as the IDF targeted a building near the only international airport in Lebanon. Additionally, Israel launched an incursion into the northern parts of the Gaza strip for the first time in months.
October 7 marks one year since the original Hamas attacks on Israel which saw roughly 1,200 people killed and around 250 people taken hostage.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is hosting an official ceremony. There will also be separate commemorations held along the Israel-Gaza border, alongside memorial ceremonies which will be hosted by hostage’s families and broadcast to the rest of the country. Many of the events will be scaled back in size and restrictions will be placed on public participation numbers to comply with Israel’s recently introduced security measures after Iran’s missile attack last week.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has marked the one-year anniversary as an opportunity to “reflect on the horrific terrorist atrocity that reverberated around the globe”.
“October 7 is a day that carries terrible pain. Over 1,200 Jews died – more than on any single day since the Holocaust,” he said.
Thousands of people have started to rally in the world’s major cities to mark the one-year anniversary.
Photo: Beirut close to plane descent by marviikad is available HERE and is used under a Creative Commons Licence. This image has not been modified.
