The IDF and the ISA announced that they have eliminated several senior terrorists in a series of targeted operations across the Gaza Strip, including the commander of Hamas’ Yibna Battalion in Rafah and two Islamic Jihad operatives who participated in the October 7 massacre and continued directing terrorist activity during the war.

Among those killed was Mohammad Fathi Abd al-Hay Abu Fakher, commander of the Yibna Battalion in Hamas’ Rafah Brigade. According to the IDF, he had recently been working to rebuild the battalion by recruiting new terrorists, overseeing their training, and restoring its operational capabilities for future attacks against Israeli forces.

The military said Abu Fakher was a longtime Hamas commander who also served as one of the senior figures in the military wing’s Supply Department. For roughly two decades, he played a major role in Hamas’ weapons-smuggling network, helping bring arms into the Gaza Strip and ensuring the organization received the equipment and resources needed to sustain its terrorist operations.

In a separate strike carried out Sunday in southern Gaza, the IDF and ISA eliminated Talal Jaber Mohammad Abd al-Aal, an Islamic Jihad terrorist who held several positions within the organization.

According to the military, Abd al-Aal led a terrorist cell that crossed into Israel during the October 7 massacre. During the ongoing war, he was also involved in holding Israeli hostages who were being held by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization in southern Gaza.

The IDF said the operation was carefully planned to reduce the risk of civilian casualties, employing precision-guided munitions and aerial surveillance before carrying out the strike.

On Monday, Israeli forces conducted another targeted strike in central Gaza, killing Ali Qaid Mohammed Stitan, a Nukhba platoon commander in the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization.

The military said Ali Qaid infiltrated Israel during the October 7 massacre and had continued throughout the war, including in recent days, to plan and promote terrorist attacks against both IDF troops and Israeli civilians. Officials said he posed an immediate operational threat and was eliminated in a precise aerial strike.

The IDF said that, as with the previous operations, extensive precautions were taken before the strike to minimize harm to civilians, including the use of precision munitions and aerial intelligence.

The military added that IDF troops operating under the Southern Command remain deployed in the area in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue acting against any immediate threats to Israeli forces or civilians.

{Matzav.com}