IDF Gaza Strike: Senior Hamas Operatives Eliminated

The Israel Defense Forces conducted a precision strike in northern Gaza on Wednesday, killing two high-ranking Hamas operatives who Israeli intelligence identified as active threats. The operation, carried out by Southern Command forces, targeted Ani Abd Alhi Fahri Mazlum, a commander in Hamas's elite Nukhba force, and Hassan Zidan Hassan Diri, a senior sniper in the organization's military wing.

According to Israeli security officials, in addition to being active combatants, both men operated an extensive network for procuring and distributing weapons to Hamas fighters throughout the Gaza Strip. In recent weeks, the two had been actively advancing sophisticated attack plans against IDF forces operating in the area and Israeli civilians, exploiting the current ceasefire arrangement and systematically violating its terms, military sources said.

Southern Command officials characterized the strikes as operationally necessary to remove an immediate and tangible threat. "These operatives posed a direct danger to IDF forces and Israeli civilians," security sources stated. "Their ongoing activities and systematic ceasefire violations made them high-priority targets for elimination."

Intelligence assessments indicate that Mazlum, the Nukhba platoon commander, was responsible for coordinating large-scale terror operations in northern Gaza. Diri, the senior sniper, served as an instructor and handler for additional terror cells and was involved in attempts to attack Israeli security forces. Both men systematically exploited Gaza's civilian infrastructure as cover for their terrorist activities, according to military intelligence.

Intelligence reports reveal that the two operatives managed a sophisticated weapons supply network serving Hamas fighters in Gaza. The network included smuggling routes, storage facilities, and distribution cells that continued operating systematically despite the ceasefire. Israeli intelligence estimates the network supplied weapons to dozens of operatives in northern Gaza in recent months.

IDF forces under Southern Command are deployed in the area in accordance with existing agreements and are determined to continue acting decisively against any attempt to threaten Israeli security or violate the border calm.

The double elimination adds to a series of targeted operations the IDF has carried out in recent days against Hamas operatives in Gaza. Just last week, Israeli forces killed Qais Bitawi, a senior Hamas figure in the Jenin refugee camp. Separately, strikes in Khan Younis eliminated Yahya Sinwar's bodyguard and another Nukhba operative who participated in the October 7 massacre at Kibbutz Re'im.

Israel's security establishment continues intensive operations to dismantle terror infrastructure in Gaza and prevent Hamas from rebuilding its operational capabilities. Security officials emphasize that these activities will continue as long as threats persist against IDF forces and Israeli civilians.