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, 6:48 PM EDT

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

Aug 04, 2024, 6:48 PM EDT

Netanyahu says Israel will strike wherever necessary

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel is prepared to stand against attacks from Iran and its proxies.

"Iran and its detractors seek to surround us with a choke ring of terrorism on seven fronts. Their open aggression is insatiable," Netanyahu said during a state memorial service commemorating the death of Revisionist Zionist leader Ze’ev Jabotinsky in 1940.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the state memorial for Ze'ev Jabotinsky, at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, Aug. 4, 2024.
Naama Grynbaum/AP

Netanyahu added, "We are determined to stand against them on every front, in every arena, far and near. "

Netanyahu's comments came just days after the assassination in Iran of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. He was killed in an explosion on Wednesday at a guest house in Tehran that he was staying in while attending the inauguration of Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian. Israel has not claimed responsibility for Haniyeh's death.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for "revenge" against Israel.

Haniyeh's assassination followed the death of Mohammed Deif, commander of Hamas' military wing, in a "precise, targeted strike" in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis on July 13. Deif was allegedly one of the masterminds of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

IDF officials also announced that they killed top Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in a precision missile strike Tuesday in Beirut, Lebanon. Officials claim he had been orchestrating drone and rocket attacks on northern Israel, including one on July 27 in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights that killed 12 children and teenagers playing soccer.

"Anyone who murders our citizens, anyone who harms our country, will not be cleared of responsibility," Netanyahu said Sunday. "He will pay a very heavy price. Our long hand strikes in the Gaza Strip, in Yemen, in Beirut, wherever necessary."

Netanyahu said Israel's goals are to "secure our future" and the ensure that hostages taken by Hamas terrorists during the Oct. 7 attack in Israel are returned home.

"We will continue to press the pedal," Netanyahu said. "We did not let up from the pressure in all combat areas. We will take an offensive, creative, persistent initiative -- until victory comes."

-ABC News' Jordana Miller

Aug 04, 2024, 2:21 PM EDT

30 people killed in IDF strike on two Gaza City schools: Gaza Civil Defense

At least 30 people were killed Sunday after Israeli strikes on two schools in Gaza City, according to the search-and-rescue organization Gaza Civil Defense.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed Sunday that the Israeli Air Force executed an "intelligence-based strike' on Hamas command and control centers allegedly embedded within the Hassan Salame and Nasser schools in Gaza City.

People and emergency crews look for survivors following Israeli bombardment on the Al-Nassr school that houses displaced Palestinians, West of Gaza city, on Aug. 4, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant Hamas group.
Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP via Getty Images

"The schools were used by Hamas’ Al-Furqan Battalion as a hiding place for its terrorist operatives and as command centers used to plan and execute attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel," the IDF said in a statement. "Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, surveillance, and additional intelligence."

A man inspects the damage following Israeli bombardment on the Al-Nassr school that houses displaced Palestinians, West of Gaza city, on Aug. 4, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant Hamas group.
Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP via Getty Images

The IDF accused the Hamas terrorist organization of violating international law by operating inside civilian infrastructure and "exploiting the civilian population as a human shield for their terror activities against the State of Israel."

--ABC News' Victoria Beaule

Aug 03, 2024, 3:27 PM EDT

Hamas in process of selecting new leader

After the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas said it is in the process of selecting a new leader, saying the assassination "will only increase the strength of the Hamas movement and the Palestinian resistance," in a statement.

Hamas said it has convened urgent meetings following the assassination and will announce the new president once they are chosen.

-ABC News' Nasser Atta

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