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Hezbollah killing was Israel's only air strike that night: army Jerusalem, Aug 1 (AFP) Aug 01, 2024 Israel's army said Thursday it carried out only one air strike in the region overnight on Tuesday when it killed Hezbollah's military commander in a Beirut suburb. Army spokesman Daniel Hagari was commenting when asked about the death of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in an unclaimed attack in Tehran before dawn on Wednesday. Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel for the death of Haniyeh, which has sent tensions soaring and raised fears of reprisals by Iran. Israel has claimed responsibility for the strike that killed Hezbollah's Fuad Shukr. Rear Admiral Hagari, when asked about a report that Haniyeh was killed by a pre-planted bomb rather than a missile, said Israel carried out only one air strike across the Middle East that night. "I want to make things clear: there was no other Israeli aerial attack, neither by missile or drone, that night in all the Middle East. I won't say anything more," he told an online briefing. The New York Times, quoting Middle East and US officials, said on Thursday that Haniyeh was killed by a bomb that had been smuggled into the guesthouse where he was staying. Iranian media have said he died in an air strike at 2:00 am Wednesday on his lodgings in northern Tehran. Hagari insisted that Israel, backed by its allies, was ready for any possible reprisals. "Our defensive systems are very good. Additionally, we have international partners who have increased their forces in the region to assist us against the threats," he said. The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza erupted on October 7 after Palestinian militants attacked Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,197 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Militants also seized 251 people during the attack, 111 of whom are still held in Gaza, including 39 the military says are dead. Since the October 7 attack, Israel has mounted a blistering military campaign in Gaza that has killed at least 39,480 people, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, which does not provide details of civilian and militant deaths.
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