Hamas: Gaza border chief killed in Israeli attack IDF continues shelling Strip

Islamist political and military organization Hamas has announced the death of Fuad Abu Tikhian, head of the Office of Borders and Checkpoints in the Gaza Strip.

He had the rank of “general” in Hamas structures, Caliber.Az reports, citing NEWSru.co.il.

The Israel Defense Forces reports that on the morning of October 17, targets were attacked in the areas of Zeitoun, northern Rafah, Jabaliya and Khan Yunis.

Among the targets attacked were operational headquarters, military facilities where militants were present, and flats of activists of the Hamas terrorist organisation in the Gaza Strip.

The IDF is currently continuing to strike targets in the Gaza Strip.

Israel will not launch a ground operation in the Gaza Strip while US President Joe Biden is visiting the country.

Biden will arrive in Israel on October 18.

During the visit, the US president plans to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After that, Biden will travel to Jordan. There he is scheduled to meet with the leaders of Jordan, Palestine and Egypt.

The war between Israel and Hamas has been ongoing since 7 October. It began with the firing of hundreds of rockets into Israeli territory, the seizure of some settlements and hostages. Israel has managed to regain control of its territories. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has been shelling the Gaza Strip and preparing for a ground operation. The total number of dead in the Gaza Strip almost reached 2,700, injured - exceeded 9,600, in Israel – 1,300 and 3,700 respectively.

The Hamas movement condemned countries that did not support the draft UN resolution proposed by Russia and thanked Moscow for its position.

“We believe that the countries that rejected the draft resolution in the Security Council on the opening of humanitarian corridors are responsible for the ongoing violence against civilians in the Gaza Strip,” Hamas said.

Earlier, the Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the UN, Lana Zaki Nuseibah, said that UAE representatives were disappointed that the UN Security Council did not support the draft Middle East resolution proposed by Russia.

The US, Great Britain, France and Japan voted against the Russian project.

For the project - Russia, China, UAE, Gabon and Mozambique. Albania, Brazil, Ghana, Malta, Switzerland and Ecuador abstained.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Forces spokesperson Jonathan Conricus has said Israel was using “NATO standard” weapons in its bombardment of Gaza and that Israel is committed to international law.

“We are using standard NATO equivalent, NATO standard weapons, very similar to those used by NATO forces around the world … We are committed to international law ... We try in general to use the lightest weapons, the most precise weapons that we have in order to strike specific targets,” Conricus said.