Israel-Hamas war toll has crossed the 9,800 mark :::: Israel Defense Forces says Ibrahim Biari, commander of Hamas's Central Jabalia Battalion, eliminated

 Amid the ongoing ground invasion in Gaza as the Israel-Hamas war rages, Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday targeted a densely populated refugee camp in the Gaza Strip that killed at least 50 Palestinians and a Hamas commander. Yemen's Houthi rebels also declared their involvement in the war on Tuesday as they launched drone and missile attacks on Israel. 

The group, part of an Iran-backed "Axis of Resistance", has rallied behind the Palestinians since the initial Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. According to the latest official figures, the total war toll has crossed the 9,800 mark.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that several other terrorists who were with the Hamas commander were also killed in the airstrikes. The IDF added that an underground terrorist infrastructure collapsed following the strike.

File snap: Arafat and Netanyahu

The IDF said the strike damaged "Hamas's command and control in the area and eliminated a large number of terrorists who were with Biari", adding that an underground terrorist infrastructure "collapsed following the strike".

Israel continued its Gaza offensive on Tuesday, Oct 31, and said that its fighter jets killed a senior Hamas commander who was responsible for the October 7 attack. 

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on X (formerly Twitter) that Ibrahim Biari, commander of Hamas's Central Jabalia Battalion, was eliminated.  

 The elimination of Biari was "very important" and even "pivotal in the planning and the execution of the October 7 attack against Israel" from the Gaza Strip, Reuters reported, quoting IDF spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus. He added that dozens of Hamas terrorists were in the same underground tunnel complex as Biari.

"And I understand that is also the reason why there are many reports of collateral damage and non-combatant casualties. We're looking into those as well," Conricus said.

Palestinian health officials said at least 50 Palestinians were killed in the refugee camp, the largest in the Gaza Strip, and as many as 150 were wounded. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem, however, denied the presence of any senior commander in the complex and called Israel's claim a pretext for killing civilians.

In a statement, the terrorist group said that a total of 400 deaths and injuries happened in Jabaliya, which houses families of refugees from wars with Israel dating back to 1948. Reuters said they could not independently verify the reported deaths.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel on Friday for meetings with members of the Israeli government, and then make other stops in the region, an official statement said. 

The US, Qatar and Egypt have been working to open the Rafah Crossing - between Egypt and the Gaza Strip - to allow people to come and go, and also enable the passage of humanitarian aid.

Yem