Israel-Hamas war Highlights: Hamas commander killed as Israel launches dozens of strikes on Gaza, says report

Israeli troops prepare weapons and armed vehicles near the southern city of Ashkelon on October 15, 2023. More than one million people have been displaced in the Gaza Strip in the last week, the UN said on October 15, after sustained Israeli bombardment and warnings about a ground attack against Hamas commanders.

Israel-Hamas war highlights: The war between Israel and the Hamas militants entered its ninth day on Sunday and is expected to be escalating further. A day after the Israeli military ordered hundreds of thousands of civilians living in Gaza City to evacuate ahead of an expected Israel ground offensive against Hamas for its surprise deadly attack on October 7, the military on Saturday said it is seeing a "significant movement" of civilians in southern Palestine. While no decision on a ground offensive has been announced yet, the Israeli troops have been massing troops along the Gaza border.

According to the latest data, the war has claimed at least 3,200 lives since it began last Saturday.

On Sunday morning, Hamas announced that three of its members from Lebanon had been killed after crossing the border from Lebanon into Israel and clashing with Israeli forces. The group said in a statement that its militants had “inflicted losses” before being targeted by Israeli airstrikes.

Meanwhile, Russia asked the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to vote on a draft resolution on the Israel-Hamas conflict that calls for a humanitarian ceasefire. The one-page draft resolution also calls for the release of hostages, humanitarian aid access, and the safe evacuation of civilians in need. It refers to Israel and the Palestinians but does not directly name Hamas.