Jamal Musa, Hamas special ops chief, killed in airstrike

On the 11th day of its ground assault in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported the loss of its 34th soldier on Monday. During this operation, a top Hamas special operations fighter named Jamal Musa was killed in an Israeli airstrike. The IDF continues to conduct airstrikes on Hamas strongholds. The IDF stated that their operations aim to eliminate Hamas terrorists, and they have targeted several Hamas commanders, including Jamal Musa, who was responsible for special security within the organization.
The IDF has been employing conventional military tactics, targeting Hamas strongholds, infrastructure, and tunnel networks. Their strategy involves isolating the militants in their power center in Gaza City, cutting it off from the south, and then engaging Hamas in close combat.
Despite the ongoing military efforts, the IDF has already lost 34 soldiers in 11 days, highlighting the challenges they face in urban warfare against Hamas.
It’s worth noting that the threat of additional fronts opening up, particularly with Hezbollah increasing attacks from the West Bank and Lebanon, is being deterred by a heavy US naval presence in the region. The US has deployed assets such as a nuclear-capable Ohio-class submarine in the Suez Canal and a nuclear-capable B-1 bomber in the area. Additionally, two US aircraft carriers, the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, have been sent to the region, along with supporting naval vessels, as a warning to Iran and its proxy groups to avoid getting involved in the ongoing conflict. These aircraft carriers have the capacity to carry more than 135 fighter aircraft, including F-18s.