Gaza live: Israel strike kills 30 Palestinians, mostly children

Hamas is bound to respond to Israel’s killing of its top military commander, Fouad Shukr, saying his death and that of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh “crossed” red lines, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah warned on Thursday.

“The enemy, and those who are behind the enemy, must await our inevitable response,” he said in a speech broadcast at the funeral of Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr.

"You do not know what red lines you crossed,” he said, referring to two separate strikes in Beirut and Tehran which killed Hezbollah commander Shukr and Hamas political leader Haniyeh.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated by an explosive device that was secretly smuggled into Tehran weeks ago, according to a report in the New York Times on Thursday. 

Citing seven Middle Eastern officials and a US official, the report said a bomb had been hidden in a guesthouse in the capital run by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) around two months ago. 

Haniyeh had stayed in the guesthouse on several occasions while visiting Tehran, according to the sources. 

On Wednesday, after confirmation that Haniyeh was inside his room at the guesthouse, the bomb was detonated remotely, according to five of the officials. The blast also killed the Hamas political leader’s bodyguard. 

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the killing - it rarely comments on operations carried out abroad. However, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Hamas have directly blamed Israel for the attack and promised revenge.

READ MORE: Haniyeh killed by 'device planted two months ago' in Tehran guesthouse

Israel has turned into a "rogue" state with its assassination of Ismail Haniyeh and needs to be stopped, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Thursday at a press conference.

The killing of Hamas’ lead negotiator was a clear sign that Israel has decided to undermine the US-backed talks, according to Safadi.

"Yesterday, Israel assassinated Ismail Haniyeh. He was the one who was negotiating the exchange deal. So how on earth is a country that wants to conclude a deal killing the main interlocutor in those negotiations?" Safadi said.

The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has issued a statement condemning Israel's targeting of journalists in Gaza.

The statement, which came in response to the killing of Al Jazeera's Ismail al-Ghoul and Rami al-Rifi in an Israeli air strike, reiterated that "the intentional killing of journalists is a war crime.

“Palestinian journalists play a critical role in informing the world of the reality in Gaza, where Israel has not allowed international journalists to enter. Silencing Palestinian journalists conceals the shocking reality in Gaza," the statement read.

The Israeli military has said that its forces arrested 24 people in the occupied West Bank, claiming that all the detainees are affiliated with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad armed groups.

Al Jazeera journalists gathered at the media network's headquarters in Doha to condemn the killing of their colleagues, Ismail al-Ghoul and Rami al-Rifi, by Israeli forces in Gaza on Wednesday.

Holding banners reading “Killing Journalists is a Crime", they called for the perpetrators to be held accountable.

Al Jazeera colleagues gathered to condemn the cold-blooded assassination of Ismail Al Ghoul and Rami Al Rifi in Gaza by Israeli occupation forces and to call for holding the perpetrators accountable.#Justice4Journalists https://t.co/Tl16rDKK0S pic.twitter.com/pwFikYhzYD

— Al Jazeera PR (@AlJazeera) August 1, 2024

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel is "prepared for any scenario" amid growing expectations of a retaliation from Iran and its allies for the assassination of senior leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas.

"We will exact a very heavy price for any act of aggression against us from any arena," he said in comments released by his office following a visit to the Home Front Command.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has said that the "only solution" to the escalating tensions between the group and Israeli forces is to "end hostilities in Gaza".

"We will resume tomorrow morning; we have reorganised to continue on the support front," he said, adding that Israel should "expect its response".

Hassan Nasrallah has said that Fouad Shukur will quickly be replaced, as Hezbollah has enough commanders to fill the gap.

"When one of our commanders is martyred, we quickly replace him with one of his pupils. We have an excellent new generation of commanders."

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has said in his speech at the funeral of slain commander Fouad Shukur, that Israel's attack on Beirut "is not a response to the strike on Majdal Shams. It is part of the war and a response to the Lebanese support front."

"We are paying the price for our support for Gaza and the Palestinian people," he added.

Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah Secretary-General has said in a speech at the funeral of slain commander, Fouad Shukur that the group were not responsible for the apparent attack on Majdal Shams in the occupied Golan Heights on 27 July.

He said that Hezbollah would have admitted if it had made a 'mistake' that led to the projectile striking the town and killing 12 children.

An Israeli government spokesperson has warned that Israel will respond harshly to any retalition by Iran and its allies for the killing of senior leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas.

"Israel will exact a very high price for aggression against us from whatever quarter," the spokesperson told reporters.

Israel has carried out 3,457 "massacres" since the start of its war on Gaza in October of last year, according to a report published on Thursday by Gaza's government media office.

These attacks have resulted in 39,480 deaths and 91,128 injuries, with an estimated 10,000 people missing.

The office also reported that Israeli forces have dropped 82,000 tonnes of explosives on Gaza, causing $33bn in damage and razing most of its infrastructure. This includes nearly 200 government buildings, over 100 schools and universities and 150,000 housing units.

Turkey has vetoed all Nato engagement with Israel since October due to the war in Gaza, Reuters reports, citing sources familiar with the situation.

The sources say Turkey views Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza as a violation of Nato's founding principles and has urged the alliance not to engage with Israel until the aggression stops. They added that Ankara would maintain this block until the war ends.

Israel carries the status of Nato partner and has fostered close ties with the military alliance and some of its members, particularly its largest ally, the United States.

Reporting by Reuters