Israel Hits West Bank Mosque For Executing 'Terror Attacks', Calls Hamas' 'Hostage Release' Claim A 'Propaganda'

The Israeli military on Sunday carried out an airstrike in the occupied West Bank to target the "command centre" being used by Islamic Jihad terrorists to "plan attacks against civilians".

Israeli forces hit West Bank mosque in fresh set of strikes.

Source : X (@IDF), Getty Images

Israel-Hams War: Israel Defence Forces (IDF) early Sunday morning confirmed striking a Mosque in a city in the occupied West Bank saying that the compound was being used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists as a "command centre" to plan attacks against civilians. IDF said it carried out airstrike with Israeli Security Agency (ISA), better known as Shin Bet. According to the Times of Israel, the agencies said in a joint statement that they had received intelligence input that the cell at the mosque was used by terrorists.

"The IDF & ISA just conducted an aerial strike on a Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist compound in the Al-Ansar Mosque in Jenin. Recent IDF intel revealed that the Mosque was used as a command center to plan and execute terrorist attacks against civilians," the Israeli military said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. It also shared images of the centre with guns, CCTV and other materials as evidence to prove that it was being used by terrorists.

The IDF & ISA just conducted an aerial strike on a Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist compound in the Al-Ansar Mosque in Jenin.

Recent IDF intel revealed that the Mosque was used as a command center to plan and execute terrorist attacks against civilians. pic.twitter.com/gQfyv6wUAV

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 22, 2023

On the other hand, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Hamas' claims that the Jewish nation was not ready to accept two additional hostages, after releasing the American mother and daughter. In a brief statement, the Israeli PM's office rejected Hamas' statement as "propaganda".

"We will not relate to mendacious propaganda by Hamas. We will continue to do everything necessary to bring all the captives and missing back home," the PM's office said in a post on X.

Statement from the Prime Minister's Office:
We will not relate to mendacious propaganda by Hamas.

We will continue to do everything necessary to bring all the captives and missing back home.

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 21, 2023

Earlier, according to Reuters, Hamas' armed wing's spokesman Abu Ubaida said it informed Qatar of the group's intention to release the two additional people on Friday, the same day it freed Americans Judith Tai Ranaan and her daughter Natalie. Then, in another statement, he claimed that Hamas was ready to free the two people on Sunday "using the same procedures" involved in the release of Judith and Natalie.

Amid the war, PM Benjamin Netanyahu met Italian PM Georgia Meloni and Cypriot President Christodoulides and apprised them of Hamas' atrocities and the present situation on the ground.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni:

"This is a test, a test of civilization and we will win. And we expect all the countries that lined up to fight ISIS, to line up and fight Hamas, because Hamas is the new ISIS." pic.twitter.com/rcMEl3yvqX

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 21, 2023

Prime Minister Netanyahu met with Cypriot President Christodoulides:

"It is a battle of civilization against barbarism. What we saw in Gaza, along our communities is beyond description.

It is savagery that is the worst that we've seen against Jewish people since the Holocaust." pic.twitter.com/F5RaYcksII

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 21, 2023

 

Israel Says 500 Hamas Rockets Failed, Fell In Gaza Only

Israel Defence Forces on Sunday said that Hamas has been trying, especially in the last 24 hours, to project itself as a humanitarian organisation by showing pictures of destroyed buildings and civilians in the Gaza Strip. In a video address, an IDF spokesman said that Hamas is worse than ISIS and that the terrorists killed babies, women, children, the elderly and the sick brutally, raped women and took many as hostages. 

"Hamas wants the world to believe that they are a humanitarian organization. Don't fall for their trap," IDF said in the video post on X.

Hamas wants the world to believe that they are a humanitarian organization.

Don't fall for their trap. pic.twitter.com/XxuUnBubz7

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 21, 2023

Mentioning that it was Hamas that began the war and not Israel, the IDF alleged that militants were deliberately operating from buildings which are in close vicinity of hospitals to show Israel in bad picture. He said that since the beginning of the war, around 500 rockets fired by Hamas have fallen in Gaza only like the one in "hospital" which Hamas said was Israel's doing.