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IAF kills Hamas Internal Security chief in Khan Yunis

On Thursday afternoon, the IAF struck Hamas terrorists operating in a command and control center that was embedded inside the Khan Yunis Municipality building in the humanitarian zone.

By JNS

Overnight Wednesday, the Israeli Air Force conducted a targeted strike in Khan Yunis, killing Hassam Shahwan, the head of Hamas’s Internal Security Force in southern Gaza.

“The Hamas Internal Security Force has conducted violent interrogations of the Gazan population, violating human rights and suppressing dissent within the organization,” the Israel Defense Forces noted on Thursday, adding that Shahwan was responsible for coordinating intelligence assessments with Hamas’s “military” wing to plan and execute attacks on the IDF in the Gaza Strip.

The airstrike on the terrorist operating in the humanitarian zone was carried out with careful measures to minimize civilian harm, including precise munitions and aerial surveillance, the IDF said.

On Thursday afternoon, the IAF struck Hamas terrorists operating in a command and control center that was embedded inside the Khan Yunis Municipality building in the humanitarian zone.

According to the IDF, the terrorists used the command and control center to plan and execute attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel.

The IDF emphasized its commitment to defending Israeli citizens while continuing operations against terrorist organizations such as Hamas, which violates international law and uses civilians as human shields.

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Halevi promises fair deal for reservists

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi delivered a message on Tuesday to the hundreds of thousands of reserve soldiers who have fought in the multi-front war since the Hamas-led invasion on Oct. 7, 2023.

“The IDF and the government are making a significant effort to reward the reservists. We are committed to you—that is the contract,” Halevi said during a situational assessment held in Netzarim Corridor that bisects the Gaza Strip between north and south.

The military leader also lit the seventh Chanukah candle. He was joined by OC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman; Brig. Gen. Yoav Brunner, commander of the 99th Reserve Infantry Division; Col. Ido Kass, commander of the 551st Reserve Paratroopers Brigade; and reserve soldiers operating in the area.

Gaza rocket intercepted

After sirens were activated in Holit at 11:57 a.m., the IAF intercepted a projectile fired from the southern Gaza Strip, the military said.

Holit is a kibbutz located in the Hevel Shalom region of southwestern Israel. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Eshkol Regional Council.

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Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip fired two rockets at Israel just as the clock struck midnight on Tuesday night, marking the new year.

Israeli air defenses intercepted one of the rockets, with the other hitting an open field, the IDF said. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, which caused no injuries or damage.

On Monday evening, terrorists in Gaza fired three rockets at southern Israel. One rocket, which triggered sirens in the border kibbutz of Kissufim, struck an open area, the military said.

Just over two hours later, the Israeli Air Force intercepted two rockets launched from the northern Strip.

There were no reports of injuries or damage in the attacks.

On Sunday, Palestinian terrorists in northern Gaza fired five rockets at Israeli communities in the “Gaza Envelope,” the area near the coastal enclave.

Two rockets were intercepted, according to the Israel Defense Forces, with the others apparently striking open areas.

A day earlier, the IAF downed two rockets fired by terrorists in northern Gaza towards Jerusalem. The attacks triggered air-raid sirens in the capital, the Western Negev and the Judean Foothills (the Shfela).

The IDF’s year-plus-long offensive against Hamas has greatly curbed rocket fire from the Strip, although Palestinian terrorists still intermittently target the Jewish state.