Gaza City:
 The Israeli army has confirmed the killing of a Hamas commander in an airstrike in the town of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on Thursday in a press statement that Ahmed Al-Sawarka, who led sniper operations in the Beit Hanoun area and played a role in “terrorist” acts against Israeli forces, was killed by a military aircraft.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Thursday that IDF troops are continuing to operate in the central Gaza Strip and the southern Rafah area, Xinhua news agency reported.
The health authorities in Gaza said in a press statement that as of Thursday, the Palestinian death count from Israeli military operations has risen to 37,431 people, with 85,653 others wounded.
Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 were taken hostage.
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