IDF Eliminates Islamic Jihad Commanders in Gaza Strikes
Two operatives, including a rocket array commander, killed in separate attacks as military actions continue in the region.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported Saturday the elimination of two operatives from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization in Gaza. The strikes targeted individuals described by the IDF as being involved in restoring the group's capabilities, which the military stated constituted a systematic violation of the ceasefire agreement.
One of the targeted individuals was identified as Ahmed Mahmoud Harb Ramlawi, who the IDF stated served as a commander in the rocket array of the Shejaiya Battalion within the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's "military" wing. The second operative killed was Munir Ibrahim Masr, identified as the head of an anti-tank missile cell in the same wing of the organization.
These operations follow other recent military actions. On Thursday night, the Israeli Air Force and the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) killed Tamer Hamaida, a Hamas sniper in the Khan Yunis area of southern Gaza. The security forces stated that Hamaida had plans for shooting and other attacks against Israeli troops and civilians. The IDF reiterated its commitment to acting against immediate threats in the area.
Earlier in the week, the IDF and Shin Bet reported the elimination of Izz al-Din Bikh, a top Hamas terrorist who commanded the captivity of several Israeli hostages during the conflict. According to Israeli security forces, Bikh was involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre and played a role in establishing Hamas's elite Nukhba Force. He had held positions including commander of Hamas's Northern Gaza Brigade and head of military intelligence for that brigade.
Reports from Arab media, cited by Ynet, also indicated that the IDF may have targeted Ali al-Amoudi, described as a potential successor to Yahya Sinwar as the head of Hamas in Gaza. Al-Amoudi is reportedly a member of Hamas's political bureau and previously served time in Israeli prison, having been released as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange. The IDF has not commented on these reports.
In a separate development, the IDF announced Thursday that an extensive investigation revealed that 170 individuals in Gaza killed during the war, who had been presented as journalists or media workers, were in fact operatives for terrorist organizations. The IDF stated that 118 of these individuals served in Hamas's "military wing," 49 in Palestinian Islamic Jihad, two with the Popular Resistance Committees, and one with the Mujahideen Brigades. Seventeen of the 170 participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, according to the military.