Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
In the latest developments in the Middle East, the Israeli military said it carried out a targeted drone strike on a man it described as a Hamas commander in northern Gaza on Wednesday, despite pressure from officials involved in peace efforts to halt such attacks. Israel did not give details about the target or say whether he was killed.
Elsewhere, Turkey criticised Colombia’s decision to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and Kuwait said it had foiled a plot against an unspecified facility. The developments came amid continued focus on the war involving Iran and the wider region.
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The drone strike hit a man in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza. The Israeli military said he was a Hamas commander and described the attack as targeted. It was the first such strike announced by Israel since August 3.
Targeted strikes have faced greater scrutiny since US President Donald Trump announced a deal aimed at advancing peace efforts in Gaza, which included halting such attacks. Hamas accepted the plan to decommission its weapons, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected it earlier this week, saying Hamas must fully disarm before Israel accepts the terms. Board of Peace officials have urged Israel to stop the strikes to help move the deal forward.
The Israeli military did not say whether the man in Beit Lahiya was killed. Officials at Shifa and Nasser hospitals said four injured people were brought in on Wednesday. Gaza’s Health Ministry has reported 45 people killed since August 1.
In a separate development, Turkey condemned Colombia’s move to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, calling it an effort to “legitimise Israel’s occupation” of the territory. Colombia, shortly after conservative Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as president on Friday, became only the second country to take that step.
Israel captured the Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it in 1981. The United States was the first country to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the territory during Trump’s first term, reversing longstanding US policy. The United Nations recognises the area as part of Syria.
In Kuwait, the Interior Ministry said a “terrorist plot” against an unnamed facility was thwarted on Wednesday after a Kuwaiti citizen linked to the Islamic State group was detained shortly before carrying out the plan. The ministry said he had received training in making explosives and operating drones for use in the attack, but did not identify the facility.
Overall, the day saw Israel report another targeted strike in Gaza amid peace pressure, Turkey object to Colombia’s position on the Golan Heights, and Kuwait announce it had foiled a planned attack on a vital facility.
With PTI Inputs
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
