Attack on Israel | Israel uses high technology to search for hostages

Hamas says there are even more hostages than previously thought. The UN Security Council interrupts its meeting. All information in the news blog.

The Islamist terrorist organization Hamas has attacked Israel. This live blog informs you about the current developments:

2:05 a.m.: The Israeli army says it has killed the head of the Shura Council of the Islamist Hamas in an airstrike in the Gaza Strip. Osama Mazini was responsible for Hamas prisoners and directed terrorist activities against Israel, the Israeli army said early this morning. The army also posted a video of the attack on Telegram.

The Shura Council elects the Hamas Politburo, which in turn is the highest decision-making body of the organization ruling in the Gaza Strip. The day before, the Israeli military had already killed the regional head of Hamas’ secret service.

1:55 a.m.: Several trucks carrying aid for the Gaza Strip are on their way from Al Arish on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula to the Rafah border crossing, an eyewitness told Reuters. It is unclear when and whether the border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip will be opened.

1:31 a.m.: The USA says it has flown almost 1,000 US citizens and their relatives from Israel to Europe on US State Department charter flights since Friday. More than 4,000 seats on planes and ships were available, but flights and other transport options were usually only half full or not at all, a US State Department spokesman told the Reuters news agency. The flights from Tel Aviv would continue until at least Thursday.

1:47 a.m.: The Israeli military has again attacked pro-Iranian Hezbollah positions in Lebanon. The army is currently attacking Shiite militia posts, the Israeli military said on Telegram early Tuesday morning. Since the devastating terrorist attacks on Israel by the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas and the counterattacks by the Israeli army on the Gaza Strip, there have been regular incidents on the border between Israel and Lebanon in recent days, raising concerns about further escalation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Hezbollah militia and Iran against attacks on Israel. “Don’t put us to the test in the north,” Netanyahu said in parliament on Monday at the start of the winter session. “Don’t repeat your previous mistake because this time the price will be much worse.” US President Joe Biden told them in English: “Don’t do it.” I told you in Hebrew: Be careful.”

1:09 a.m.: According to Hamas, a total of 200 to 250 Israelis are being held captive in the Gaza Strip. A spokesman for the radical Islamists says that they have around 200 of them under their control. The rest are being held by other armed groups. In addition, citizens of other countries were also taken prisoner. They are guests and will be released when circumstances permit.

Hamas says it is also holding high-ranking Israeli officers captive. They came from the Gaza Division, according to the radical Islamists’ Telegram channel, citing an interview by former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal with the AlAraby TV channel. No stone will be left unturned to use the prisoners as leverage to free the 6,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

0.43 a.m.: Israel relies on high-tech experts to search for people kidnapped by Hamas. An initiative of private sector volunteers is analyzing footage using artificial intelligence and facial and voice recognition to help identify and locate missing people, said Karine Nahon, one of the group’s leaders. “We are trying to find out the status of everyone and we still have more than a thousand missing people.” Hamas is now also deleting footage of attacks from the Internet, indicating that the militant group is aware that these videos are being used to gather information.