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The mastermind behind the Hamas atrocities on October 7 that left at least 1,400 Israelis dead is said to have been killed in his Gaza home on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Fouad Abu Btikhan, responsible for the crossings in the Gaza Strip (with the rank equivalent to a major), was killed in the attack on his house a short time ago in Ein Jalot Towers in Nzirat (the center of the Gaza Strip), it has been reported.<\/p>\n
It comes as Israel conducts punishing airstrikes across Gaza as a ground invasion looms, while Hamas militants keep up a barrage of rocket attacks, and tensions mount near the Israel-Lebanon border.<\/p>\n
All eyes will now be on Iran following the latest development. The hostile actor is threatening to take \u201cpreemptive action\u201d against Israel \u201cin the coming hours\u201d.<\/p>\n
Read more <\/strong> Iran’s parliament chants ‘death to Israel’ after Hamas attack[LATEST] <\/strong><\/p>\n Iran\u2019s foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, dialled up the rhetoric in a live broadcast to state TV on Monday, as he referred to his meeting with Hezbollah terror chief Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday.<\/p>\n The foreign minister’s warmongering comes days after he called on Israel to stop its attacks on Gaza, warning that the war might expand to other parts of the Middle East if Hezbollah joins the battle, and that would make Israel suffer \u201ca huge earthquake”.<\/p>\n He told reporters in Beirut that Lebanon\u2019s Hezbollah group has taken all the scenarios of a war into consideration and Israel should stop its attacks on Gaza as soon as possible.<\/p>\n In his latest address on Monday, Amir-Abdollahian said that \u201cthe resistance leaders\u201d will not allow Israel \u201cto do whatever it wants in Gaza”.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we don\u2019t defend Gaza today, tomorrow we have to defend against these (phosphorus) bombs in the children\u2019s hospital of our own country,\u201d he continued, adding: \u201cThe possibility of preemptive action by the resistance axis is expected in the coming hours\u201d.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, in Gaza, hospitals were on the verge of losing electricity, threatening the lives of thousands of patients, and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced from their homes searched for bread.<\/p>\n More than a week after Israel cut off entry of any supplies, all eyes are on the Rafah crossing, Gaza\u2019s only connection to Egypt.<\/p>\n Mediators were trying to reach a cease-fire that would let in aid and let out trapped foreigners. Israeli airstrikes forced the crossing to shut down last week, but it remained unclear on Monday which of the regional actors was keeping the crossing closed.<\/p>\n We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info<\/p>\n Don’t miss… <\/strong> In other developments, Gaza\u2019s Health Ministry reported that Israel\u2019s bombardment \u2014 launched after Hamas mounted a bloody, unprecedented attack on Israel on Oct. 7 \u2014 has killed more than 2,700 Palestinians, many of them women and children.<\/p>\n But far more Palestinians have been killed than have been officially reported, with 1,200 people, among them some 500 minors, believed to be trapped under the rubble awaiting rescue, or recovery, health authorities said. They based their estimates on distress calls they received.<\/p>\n \u201cSo many times medics say they hear victims scream but they cannot do anything about it,\u201d said Mohammed Abu Selmia, general director of Shifa Hospital, Gaza\u2019s biggest medical center.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/78\/590x\/secondary\/Israel-airstrikes-5016396.jpg?r=1697534693980\")
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British teenager murdered by Hamas terrorists after going missing in attack[LATEST] <\/strong>
BBC Hamas terror excuses \u2018blown out of water\u2019 by Brussels \u2018terror attack\u2019 report[LATEST] <\/strong>
Huge crowd outside BBC shouts ‘shame on you’ in fury at Hamas attack coverage[LATEST] <\/strong><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/78\/590x\/secondary\/Amir-iran-5016412.jpg?r=1697534694029\")
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