The IDF said all six terrorists had been involved in advancing terrorist operations against Israeli soldiers and civilians.
By United with Israel Staff
The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet announced Wednesday that six terrorists from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Army of Islam were eliminated in a series of airstrikes in the Khan Yunis area of southern Gaza earlier this week.
According to a joint statement, the terrorists had been planning attacks against Israeli troops and civilians while working to rebuild their organizations’ military capabilities, in systematic violation of the ceasefire.
Two strikes carried out Monday eliminated Mahmoud Jihad Mohammad Qafa, the head of a sniper cell in Hamas’ military wing, and Asaad Suleiman Salman Qashta, an Army of Islam operative involved in facilitating smuggling into the Gaza Strip.
A separate airstrike on Sunday targeted four additional terrorists affiliated with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Among those eliminated was Shaher Mohammad Zaarab, a Nukhba company commander in Hamas’ military wing. The Nukhba force is Hamas’ elite commando unit, whose members played a central role in the October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel.
The strike also killed Mohammad Zakaria Al-Jamal, the head of a Hamas terrorist cell, and Mohammad Amin Al-Namas, another operative in the organization’s military wing.
The fourth terrorist, Mohammad Ali Abu Shaar, served as a sniper operative for Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The IDF said all six terrorists had been involved in advancing terrorist operations against Israeli soldiers and civilians, particularly in recent months, while attempting to restore the operational capabilities of Gaza-based terrorist organizations.
The military emphasized that the airstrikes were conducted to eliminate the threats posed by the operatives.
Before carrying out the strikes, Israeli forces took precautions to minimize civilian casualties, including the use of precision-guided munitions and aerial surveillance.
The operations come amid continued Israeli efforts to prevent Hamas and other terrorist organizations from rebuilding their military infrastructure under the ceasefire agreement.
“Security forces are deployed in the area in accordance with the agreement and will continue to operate to remove any threat,” the joint IDF and Shin Bet statement said.
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