Israel’s ‘intense’ battles in Gaza

Israel continued its “intensive battles” in Gaza on Wednesday despite heightened fears that its war with Hamas will widen after a senior leader in the terrorist group was killed in Lebanon a day prior.

Saleh Al-Arouri, the deputy head of the political bureau of Hamas, was killed in an airstrike in Beirut on Tuesday. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack.

Israel said Wednesday there have been “intensive battles” with militants in Khan Younis to flush out Hamas.

Israeli planes dropped written orders to civilians to leave seven districts as residents and Palestinian media claimed the Israel Defense Forces bombed the AlNuseirat refugee camp overnight and destroyed several buildings.

“You are in a dangerous combat area. The IDF is operating heavily in your area of residence. For your safety, the IDF urge you to immediately evacuate this area,” the leaflets read.

Israel has also stepped up its attack on the Al-Bureij refugee camp, sending in planes and tanks. Hamas claimed to have hit five tanks and troop carriers.

An airstrike was also conducted in the Al-Maghazi refugee camp, which health officials said killed four. Another three were killed in an airstrike on a house in Rafah.

Arouri, 57, who lived in Beirut, was the first senior political leader of Hamas to be killed since the war began Oct. 7.

Hamas military leaders Samir Findi Abu Amer and Azzam AlAqraa Abu Ammar were also killed in the attack, according to the group.

The attack marks Israel’s biggest strike on Beirut, the Lebanese capital, since 2006 when the two were at war, according to CNN.

As the conflict rages on, it has expanded in the occupied West Bank and has caused tension with Hezbollah forces on the Lebanon-Israel border and imperiled Red Sea shipping lanes.