The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday announced the elimination of Hasan Mahmoud Hasan Hussein, a Nukhba company commander in Hamas' Bureij Battalion who took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.
Hussein operated alongside Muhammad Abu Atiwi, killed in October 2024, and the two led the attack on the bomb shelter on Route 232 in Kibbutz Re'im. He also took part in the abduction of Israeli civilians, according to the military.
As a Nukhba commander, Hussein directed and carried out multiple attacks against IDF troops during the war in the Gaza Strip.
On Monday afternoon, Palestinian terrorists fired two rockets toward Israeli civilian communities from the northern Strip, the IDF stated.
"Interception attempts were made toward the launches, which did not cross into Israeli territory and fell within the Gaza Strip," according to the IDF, which said air-raid sirens were activated in some open areas.
Over the past several weeks, the IDF's 188th Armored Brigade and 828th Brigade have been operating in the Gaza City area as part of "Operation Gideon's Chariots II."
Troops have eliminated dozens of terrorists, dismantled tunnel shafts and underground routes and uncovered concealed weapons hidden in civilian neighborhoods, the military said.
The IDF reported on Monday morning that its soldiers uncovered and neutralized explosive devices during recent ground operations in the Gaza City area, including one hidden inside a multi-story structure.
According to the military, a drone identified a booby-trapped device hidden under a blanket on the sixth floor of the building, which was subsequently dismantled without casualties. Additional arms and explosives intended for attacks against soldiers were also found.
Also in Gaza City, a terrorist who fired mortar shells at soldiers was killed in an Israeli Air Force strike, according to the IDF statement.
Israeli soldiers "eliminated terrorists, dismantled terrorist infrastructure, and neutralized explosive devices that were intended to harm troops in the area," the IDF said. "Additionally, IDF troops dismantled structures that were used by terrorists to conduct surveillance on IDF troops."
During parallel operations in Khan Yunis in the south, IDF soldiers eliminated terrorist operatives who were spotted in their vicinity. In addition, the Israeli Navy struck a Hamas weapons storage facility.
On Sunday, soldiers spotted a terrorist attempting to plant an explosive device near a Namer armored personnel carrier and opened fire, killing him. Shortly afterward, another terrorist cell was identified in the same area and struck in a joint operation involving the brigade's Fire Control Center and an Israeli Air Force craft.
Also on Sunday, the IDF destroyed a Hamas high-rise in the Gaza City area that contained terror infrastructure used to plan and launch attacks against Israeli forces, according to the military.
"Another terror tower collapses in Gaza, joining the many hundreds that have fallen before it," Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday.
"The Sinwar brothers destroyed Gaza, and their successor [Ezz el-Din al-Haddad] is destroying it — until all the hostages are released and Hamas disarms," he added.
The IDF said that steps were taken to minimize civilian harm ahead of the strike, including advance warnings, the use of precision munitions and aerial surveillance.
"Hamas and other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip systematically violate international law, exploiting civilian infrastructure and using the Gazan population as human shields," the IDF said.
Republished with permission from Jewish News Syndicate