IDF and Shin Bet Target Hamas Leadership
In a series of targeted operations, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet security agency have reported the elimination of several senior Hamas terrorists within the Shifa Hospital complex in Gaza City. The ongoing operation, which has been unfolding over the past few days, marks a significant escalation in the IDF's efforts to dismantle Hamas's command structure.
According to military sources, the IDF's elite units, including the Navy’s Shayetet 13, Givati Brigade’s Shaked Battalion, and Duvdevan unit, have been conducting precision raids within the hospital's premises. These operations have led to the deaths of four high-profile Hamas operatives, including Ra'ad Thabat and Mahmoud Khalil Ziqzouq.
Ra'ad Thabat, identified as the head of Hamas's recruitment and supply acquisition, and Mahmoud Khalil Ziqzouq, the deputy commander of Hamas’s rocket unit in Gaza City, were among those killed during an intense confrontation that erupted from Shifa’s emergency room. The IDF has also named Fadi Dweik and Zakaria Najib, both senior figures within Hamas's intelligence division and West Bank headquarters, as casualties in the operation.
The IDF and Shin Bet have emphasized the strategic importance of these operations, highlighting the capture of intelligence documents and weapons, which could provide valuable insights into Hamas's operational capabilities. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi praised the troops for their successful execution of the complex operation, which he described as "very, very successful" and a testament to the IDF's operational prowess.
