The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Thursday that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) had carried out a precision strike in the Khan Yunis Humanitarian area in Gaza, killing Hassam Shahwan, the head of Hamas’ Internal Security Forces.
Israel has been running targeted military action in Gaza: it’s killed Hamas operatives by intelligence. As the IDF notes, Shahwan was “killed” in operation to neutralise high-ranking representatives responsible for assault on Israeli military.
The statement shared by the armed forces on social media network X reads, “The Head of Hamas Internal Security Forces in southern Gaza, the terrorist Hassam Shahwan, was eliminated by the IAF in an intelligence-based strike in the Humanitarian Area in Khan Yunis.” They further charged Shahwan with collaborating with the military wing of Hamas to draft “intelligence assessments” to carry out attacks against the IDF in the Gaza strip and being engaged in violent interrogations and suppression of dissent in the region.
Recent Israeli Operations Against Hamas
The IDF confirmed an earlier drone strike killing Abd al-Hadi Sabah, commander of Hamas’ Nukhba unit, reportedly involved in the October 7, 2023, attack on the Israeli settlement of Kibbutz Nir Oz, earlier in the week.
On December 30, 2024, six more Hamas members were reported dead, including Rasem Judeh, a Jabaliya commander. Judeh was reportedly the mastermind behind the October 7 attack. The IDF has also arrested 240 people who are associated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as part of a raid that involved questioning the Kamal Adwan Hospital director in Gaza for “terrorist activities.
These operations highlight Israel’s intensified efforts to target individuals and groups linked to recent attacks while addressing broader security concerns in Gaza.
