JERUSALEM/GAZA -- The Israeli military chief said Thursday that Israel seeks an end to the rule of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip, targeting its senior leaders with days of heavy bombardment, which has caused more than 1,500 deaths in the Palestinian enclave.
As massive airstrikes on Gaza killed three senior Hamas members and entered the sixth day, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said the Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar and the group's leadership "are dead men walking." (Israel-Hamas Rule-Gaza)
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TEHRAN -- Iran's Oil Minister Javad Owji said on Thursday that his country has seen strengthened cooperation with Russia over the past year, especially in the energy sector, despite the "unjust" sanctions imposed on the two countries.
He made the remarks at the 6th Russian Energy Week International Forum in Moscow, according to the Shana News Agency affiliated with the Iranian Oil Ministry. (Iran-Energy Cooperation-Russia)
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GAZA -- The death toll from Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip and West Bank has totaled 1,569, while 7,212 others were wounded, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry.
The ministry said in a statement that the number of fatalities in Gaza has reached 1,537, including 500 children and 276 women. (Israel-Gaza Attack-Death Toll)
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UNITED NATIONS -- Israeli strikes that have crippled two Syrian airports are extremely worrying, said a UN spokesman on Thursday.
Reports of Israeli strikes on Aleppo and Damascus airports are extremely worrying, especially in light of the warnings and the concern of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for an escalation of the tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, said Stephane Dujarric, Guterres' spokesman. (UN-Syria-Airports) ■
