Israel-Gaza updates: IDF says officer and soldier injured in attack from Lebanon

The IDF says Hamas was using the schools as command centers and hiding places.

Last Updated: August 4, 2024, 5:29 PM EDT

As the Israel-Hamas war continues, tensions are escalating after the assassinations of two Hamas and Hezbollah leaders this week.

Jul 31, 2024, 1:02 AM EDT

Hamas, allies react to Haniyeh killing, calling it a 'cowardly act'

Reaction from Hamas and its allies was swift, with Musa Abu Marzouq, a member of the Hamas political office, saying in a statement, "The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Hamas Political Bureau, is a cowardly act and will certainly not go unanswered."

Islamic Jihad also issued a statement, saying the death of Haniyeh will not deter them.

Mahmoud Abbas, president of the state of Palestine, said he strongly condemned the assassination of Haniyeh, calling the attack "a cowardly act."

-ABC News' Will Gretsky

Jul 30, 2024, 11:19 PM EDT

Political leader of Hamas has been killed in Tehran, Iran says

Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, has been killed in Tehran along with his bodyguard, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has said in a statement.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack at this stage.

Haniyeh was killed in his home in Tehran after participating in the inauguration of the new Iranian president, according to Hamas.

Jul 30, 2024, 1:16 PM EDT

IDF says it targeted, killed senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut

The Israel Defense Forces said it targeted and killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut, Lebanon. The IDF said the commander is responsible for Saturday's strike that killed children playing soccer in Majdal Shams in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on social media that Hezbollah "crossed the red line."

The Lebanese Red Cross said the strike hit a residential building, killing at least two and injuring 20.

The target of Israel's strike was Fouad Shukr, also known as Al-Hajj Mohsen, according to three security sources familiar with the operation.

The IDF claims Shukr was killed in the strike.

The United States was given advanced notice ahead of Israel’s strike, according to a U.S. official familiar with matter. The message was communicated via security channels and limited operational detail was shared, the official said.

Vice President Kamala Harris said Tuesday that "Israel has the right to defend itself against a terrorist organization, which is exactly what Hezbollah is."

"But all of that being said, we still must work on a diplomatic solution to end these attacks and we will continue to do that work," she added.

State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters he didn’t have "any updates on any specific activity," but added, "We have been in continuous discussions with Israeli and Lebanese counterparts since the incident over the weekend, and the United States is going to continue to support efforts to reach a diplomatic solution along the blue line."

"Our support for Israel's security is ironclad, and it's unwavering, especially as it defends itself against Iran-backed threats, including threats from Hezbollah," Patel said.

-ABC News' Dana Savir and Shannon Kingston

Jul 30, 2024, 3:19 PM EDT

85 sick and injured evacuated from Gaza in largest medical evacuation in 9 months

Eighty-five sick and severely injured people, including 35 children, have been evacuated from Gaza to get care in Abu Dhabi, said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization.

Children look on from the back of a truck as Palestinians flee the al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, July 28, 2024.
Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images

This was Gaza’s largest medical evacuation since October 2023, according to the WHO.

The evacuees’ illnesses include cancer, neurological conditions, cardiac disease and liver disease, Tedros said.

Sixty-three family members and caregivers accompanied the patients, the WHO said.

"We hope this paves the way for the establishment of evacuation corridors via all possible routes. Thousands of sick people are suffering needlessly," Tedros said. "Above all, and as always, we call for a cease-fire."

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

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