Israeli military forces conducted overnight strikes Sunday into Monday targeting two Hamas operatives in the Deir al-Balah area of central Gaza, killing one of them, the IDF announced. The strike comes amid renewed tensions in the coastal enclave and a resurgence of incendiary balloon attacks from Gaza into Israeli territory.
According to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, the terrorist killed in the operation was identified as Muhammad Abd al-Nasser Jabr Abu Asad, a member of Hamas's elite Nukhba Force who took part in the October 7 massacre inside Israeli territory. [The Nukhba Force is the commando unit of Hamas's military wing that spearheaded the cross-border assault.]
The Israeli military said both operatives had recently been advancing terrorist plots against IDF forces and Israeli civilians, while also working to rebuild Hamas's operational capabilities "in systematic violation of the ceasefire."
"The strike was carried out to remove the threat," the IDF stated. Military forces under Southern Command remain deployed throughout the area in accordance with existing agreements and "will continue to act to remove any immediate threat," the statement added.
