Over the last day, the IDF and ISA (Shin Bet) killed Yaakub A'ashur, Head of the Anti-Tank Missile Array of Hamas' Khan Yunis Brigade. Yaakub A'ashur was a battalion commander and was later promoted to the Head of the Anti-Tank Missile Array of Hamas' Khan Yunis Brigade. He took part in the planning and execution of attacks against IDF soldiers.
Additionally, Mohammed Khamis Dababash, a senior Hamas operative, was killed. In the past, he was Hamas' Head of Military Intelligence.
Over the last two years, he was the secretary of Zakaria Abu Maamar, Hamas' Head of International Relations in the Political Bureau, who was also Hamas' representative at the Summit of the National and Islamic Factions in the Gaza Strip. Khamis was involved in the directing of the terror attack in the community of Atsmona in March 2002, during which five Israelis were murdered. The terror attack was led by Mohammed Sinwar, Wael Nasser, and Taysir Mubasher.
In addition, Tahsin Muslem, commander of the combat assistance company who was responsible for the special forces in Beit Lahia, Jihad A'azem, a Hamas intelligence investigations officer in Zaytun, and Munir Hareb, head of Public Affairs in the Rafah brigade were also killed.
Earlier, it was reported that 188th Brigade, RPG fire and small arms fire were directed at the soldiers from the direction of the Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City. The shooting was carried out by a terrorist squad that had embedded itself within a group of civilians at the entrance of the hospital. The soldiers identified a terrorist squad with two RPG launchers amongst the civilians. As a result of the shooting carried out by the terrorists, a tank was damaged.
The soldiers fired toward the terrorists. During the exchange of fire, civilians were seen leaving the hospital building, and other terrorists who came out of adjacent buildings hid among them and joined the attempted attack. After the terrorists fired RPGs, they returned to hide in the hospital.
The combat team of the 188th Brigade, which included armored, engineering, and infantry troops and with the assistance of the Air Force, responded with fire and fired shells toward the sources of the fire. During the incident, approximately 21 terrorists were killed and there were no casualties to Israeli forces.