Soldier’s killer among 20 Hamas fighters eliminated in IDF strike

Earlier on Thursday, the IDF announced the elimination by Israeli forces of the commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s naval forces.

By JNS

The Israel Defense Forces announced on Thursday afternoon that a Hamas sniper who murdered Sgt. First Class Tal Lahat was among 20 terrorists eliminated in a joint operation with the Israel Security Agency.

Muhammed Abu Jattab was a platoon commander and sniper in Hamas’s Al-Shati Battalion, according to the IDF.

The dead include Nukhba terrorists, engineers and snipers.

The IDF named another of the terrorists killed in the strike as Ismael Shaksha, a Nukhba terrorist who participated in the Oct. 7 massacre.

Abu Jattab carried out many sniper attacks throughout the war, including the incident on July 9 that killed Lahat during a targeted raid to dismantle terror infrastructure at the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City, according to the military.

Lahat, 21, from Kfar Saba, was a member of of the Maglan commando unit.

Hamas operative killed in Lebanon

Also on Thursday, Hamas operative Mohammed Jabarah was eliminated by an Israeli airstrike in the Beqa’a area deep in Lebanese territory, according to the IDF.

Jabarah was “responsible for carrying out terror attacks and missile launches against the State of Israel, including attacks coordinated with the Jamaa Islamiya terrorist organization,” the military said.

Commander Islamic Jihad’s Gaza City naval forces killed

Earlier on Thursday, the IDF announced the elimination by Israeli forces of the commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad‘s naval forces in Gaza City, as well as of another PIJ terrorist who participated in the Oct. 7 attacks.

The commander was identified as Anas Murad, while the other terrorist was identified as Ahmad Almasri. According to the IDF, Almasri was also responsible for launching many projectiles from Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood toward communities in southern Israel.

In Rafah city on the Egypt-Gaza border, Israeli forces continue a months-long operation to root out Hamas terrorists. Over the past day, troops located several tunnel shafts in the area and eliminated several terrorists.

IDF soldier wounded in attack on humanitarian route

On Wednesday, an Israeli soldier was moderately wounded by a Hamas RPG along a humanitarian route in Gaza, while aid trucks were driving along the designated non-combat zone.

The humanitarian route was temporarily closed following the attack, reopening a few hours later.

“The IDF, via COGAT, will continue to operate in accordance with international law in order to allow and facilitate humanitarian aid for civilians in the Gaza Strip,” the IDF said.