despite the death of Yahya Sinouar, Israeli bombings continue in Gaza

INTERNATIONAL – The leader of Hamas may be dead, but that doesn’t stop Tel Aviv. Israel bombed the Gaza Strip this Saturday, October 19 after a strike that left more than 30 dead in the north of the Palestinian territory, two days after the death of leader Yahya Sinouar.

Civil Defense announced that 33 people had been killed and “dozens” injured in a bombing on the Jabalia refugee camp, a region in northern Gaza where the Israeli army has been carrying out an air and ground offensive since October 6, claiming that Hamas is seeking to reconstitute its forces there.

The Palestinian Islamist movement said Friday that the hostages held in the Gaza Strip would not be released before “stopping” of the Israeli offensive.

“The beginning of the end”Really ?

According to journalists from AFP and Civil Defense, several airstrikes targeted the Gaza Strip on Saturday morning, notably the Jabalia camp where three houses were targeted after the deadly nighttime strike. The Israeli army said ” check “ reports of strikes in Jabalia.

Witnesses reported heavy fire and artillery bombardment on this camp as well as strikes on Bureij, in the center of the territory. Israeli forces bombed the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia in the north, according to doctors.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that the death of the Hamas leader marked “the beginning of the end” of the war in Gaza. For its part, Hamas assured that the death of Yahya Sinouar, considered the architect of this attack killed Wednesday in an Israeli operation in the south of Gaza, “would strengthen” the movement.

An even more disorganized movement

Several foreign leaders have expressed hope that this disappearance opens the way to a ceasefire and the release of the hostages. The American President, Joe Biden, saw the opportunity “a path to peace” in the Middle East.

But several analysts stressed that the death of the Hamas leader further disorganized the movement, now scattered into small cells, thus complicating future negotiations.

“Negotiation efforts previously were all based on the idea that Sinwar had a connection to most of those holding hostages, and could shape their actions.”summarized Jon Alterman, from the American think tank CSIS. “ The picture is much blurrier now and we should see varied outcomes », added this expert.

Hamas is “alive and will remain so” despite the death of Yahya Sinouar, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday.

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