ISRAEL STEPS UP ATTACKS, FAILS TO DECIMATE HAMAS LEADERSHIP

Israel intensified its assault on the Gaza Strip on Friday as bloody clashes spread to the West Bank and Lebanese border on the fifth day of fighting, Saud Abu Ramadan, Cindy Riechau and Sebastian Engel reported for Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israel and Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr landed in Tel Aviv on Friday as the Biden administration works to de-escalate tensions between Israel and the Palestinians amid the latest violent flare-up, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.

"Amr arrived to Tel Aviv today to reinforce the need to work toward a sustainable calm, recognizing Israel’s right to self-defense. Israelis and Palestinians deserve equal measures of freedom, security, dignity and prosperity," the Palestinian Affairs Unit of the US Embassy in Jerusalem tweeted.

The Biden administration had announced Wednesday that it was sending Amr to Israel "immediately."

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they attacked the head of Hamas security forces in the Gaza Strip.

According to the announcement, an IDF aircraft attacked the operational office in Ramel of Tawfiq Abu Naim, the head of Hamas security forces, which served as a military compound, Yaniv Kubovitch reported for Haaretz but Palestinian militants belied the Israeli claims that it had killed senior Hamas leaders, saying the Israelis were “hallucinating.”

Eight people have died so far in Israel after more than 2,000 rockets fired from Palestinian militants in Gaza sent people running for cover in communities across the Jewish State.

The losses were far higher in Gaza.

Days of Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling have led to the deaths of more than 120 people - including 31 children - with over 900 others injured, Palestinian officials said.

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