Israeli air strikes target mosque in West Bank

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Sunday said that IDF and Israel Securities Authorities carried out an aerial strike at the Al-Ansar Mosque in Jenin, a city in West Bank.

Taking to X, the IDF claimed that recent intel revealed that the mosque was used as a 'command centre to plan and carry out terrorist attacks against civilians' by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

In a post shared on X, the IDF stated, 'The IDF & ISA just conducted an aerial strike on a Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist compound in the Al-Ansar Mosque in Jenin. Recent IDF intel revealed that the Mosque was used as a command center to plan and execute terrorist attacks against civilians.'

In another post on X, the IDF stated that its soldiers hit a terrorist cell trying to launch anti-tank missiles towards northern Israel.

The IDF in a post shared on X stated, 'Hamas wants the world to believe that they are a humanitarian organisation. Don't fall for their trap.'

In the video posted by IDF on X, their spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said, "Hamas in the past 24 hours, as well as the days before, but especially in the last 24 hours, has been trying to present itself as a humanitarian organisation to the world after the release of the two hostages yesterday. The world cannot forget Hamas is worse than ISIS."

The Israeli Air Force stressed that Hamas uses the residents of the Gaza Strip as human shields and launches rockets from civilian infrastructure.

Taking to X, the Israeli Air Force stated, 'The Hamas terrorist organisation uses the residents of the Gaza Strip as human shields, and launches rockets from civilian infrastructure, areas and buildings in the Gaza Strip.'

The IDF said that they have identified about 550 failed launches fired by Hamas that landed in Gaza since October 7.

On Saturday, Rear Admiral Hagari said that the IDF will increase airstrikes on Gaza 'from today (Saturday)', CNN reported.

While addressing a briefing in Tel Aviv, he had said, "We will increase our strikes, minimise the risk to our troops in the next stages of the war, and we will intensify the strikes, starting from today."

Asked whether Israel has halted its ground operation in Gaza due to US pressure, R Adm Hagari stated that Israeli forces will launch such operations when the conditions for the military are optimal. He stated that IDF continued to carry out air strikes over the past day, according to a CNN report.