IDF says Hamas ‘operatives’ linked to October 7 ‘attacks’ killed

TEL AVIV: The Israel Defense Forces said it has killed two Hamas “operatives” involved in the October 7 “attacks” and carried out extensive strikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon amid continuing regional tensions. In a statement issued through its official Telegram channel on Saturday, the IDF said that over the past two weeks, it carried out two separate strikes in the northern Gaza Strip targeting Hamas operatives identified as “Hamer Iyad Muhammad Almatouk” and “Khaled Muhammad Salem Joudeh”.

According to the military, the two men had “infiltrated Israeli territory during the brutal October 7th massacre” and had recently attempted to carry out attacks against Israeli troops operating in the area. “The terrorists posed an immediate threat to the troops and were eliminated in precise strikes,” the IDF said.

The military also stated that earlier this week, it killed “Abd al-Rahman Mahmoud Jumaa Shaafi”, described as a Hamas operative from the Bureij Battalion who had allegedly been involved in planning attacks against Israeli forces in central Gaza.

The IDF said, “Steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance.”

It added that troops under the Southern Command “remain deployed in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat”.

In a separate statement, the Israeli military accused Hezbollah of launching “hostile aircraft, mortar shells, and explosive drones” over the past 24 hours near areas where Israeli troops are operating in southern Lebanon.

The IDF said no sirens were activated “in accordance with protocol”.

According to the military, Israeli forces struck “approximately 100 Hezbollah targets in several areas in southern Lebanon” over the weekend. The IDF further stated that on Saturday, it targeted “observation posts, terror infrastructure, and a weapons storage facility belonging to Hezbollah”, alleging that the sites had been used to advance attacks against Israeli soldiers and Israel. (ANI)

Also Read: Hamas commander behind Oct 7 attacks in Israel eliminated in Gaza City: IDF