Hamas Commander Held by Israel After Sinwar Imprisoned Him

Israel has been holding Basil Salahiya, a senior commander in Hamas's military wing, for approximately two years, according to a report published Thursday by journalist Avishai Greenzweig on i24NEWS. Salahiya is directly responsible for a deadly 2011 attack in which 16-year-old Daniel Viflic was killed when Hamas operatives fired a Kornet anti-tank missile at a school bus near the Sha'ar HaNegev area.

The circumstances of Salahiya's capture reveal deep internal divisions within Hamas. Approximately five years ago, a serious conflict erupted within the organization's leadership when Salahiya accused senior Hamas figure Marwan Issa of betrayal. These accusations created a severe rift and led to direct confrontation between Salahiya and leaders of the military wing, including Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif. As tensions escalated, Sinwar ordered Salahiya's arrest, and he was imprisoned in a detention facility in Gaza.

When the current war in Gaza began, Israeli airstrikes reportedly hit the prison facility where Salahiya was being held. Following the destruction of the detention center, Hamas transferred him to house arrest in the Hamad neighborhood of Khan Younis. During ground operations in the area, IDF forces raided the building where he was under house arrest, apprehended him, and transferred him to Israel for interrogation and detention, where he remains to this day.

The arrest adds to a series of eliminations and captures of Nukhba force terrorists who carried out the October 7 massacre. In recent weeks, the IDF has eliminated several senior Nukhba commanders who participated in raids on communities near Gaza, including the commander of the Nukhba cell that attacked the Re'im base and the commander of a cell that raided Kibbutz Nirim.

IDF operating in Gaza (IDF Spokesperson)

The attack resulted in critical injuries and the death of 16-year-old Daniel Viflic. The incident had a major impact on Israel's response policy at the time. Now, years after the attack and following his imprisonment by his own terrorist organization, he is expected to face justice in an Israeli court.

Salahiya's story reflects the complexity and internal conflicts within Hamas. The dispute that developed between him and Mohammed Deif and Yahya Sinwar, both of whom have since been eliminated by the IDF, led to his arrest by the organization itself, a move that ultimately resulted in his capture by Israeli security forces.

IDF forces in the Southern Command continue operations to remove all immediate threats to soldiers and civilians. The terrorists eliminated in recent weeks were working to restore Hamas's capabilities and advance additional terrorist operations against IDF forces and the State of Israel.