Israel assassinates two Hamas commanders

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have killed two Hamas commanders who were responsible for recent attacks on Israeli villages in the south. Merad Abu Merad, the head of Hamas' aerial system, and Ali Qadi, the company commander of the commando forces, were both slain. Israel arrested Khadi in 2005 but freed him in 2011. According to the IDF, Hamas held approximately 120 citizens prisoner in Gaza. The fighting claimed the lives of 1,300 Israelis and 2,200 Gaza residents. The IDF has ordered the evacuation of over a million civilians in northern Gaza.