TEL AVIV, January 9. /TASS/. The Israeli military will continue to fight leaders and commanders of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari said.

"We will continue to operate against Hamas leaders," he said. The spokesman pointed out that on Monday, the Israeli military eliminated a Hamas member in Syria who was responsible for rocket attacks on the country.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 when militants from the Gaza Strip-based radical Palestinian movement Hamas staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from Gaza, killing residents of Israeli border settlements and taking over 240 hostages, including women, children and the elderly. Hamas described its attack as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. In response, Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, and has been delivering air strikes on Gaza as well as some parts of Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also underway in the West Bank.