During the night between Wednesday and Thursday, with the intelligence direction of the ISA, the IAF struck terrorist infrastructure in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. Hamas terrorists, including a number of Nukhba terrorists who participated in the October 7th Massacre, were operating within, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit announced Friday morning.
According to the military, among the terrorists that were struck were Jihad Mahmoud Yehia Kahlout, a Nukhba Company Commander in the Hamas terrorist organization, and Muhammad Riyad Ali Okel, a Company Commander in the Hamas terrorist organization, two terrorists who commanded the invasion of Israeli territory on October 7th and led the massacres and kidnappings on the Mefalsim road.
"These are two terrorists who were among the leaders of the combat in the northern Gaza Strip against IDF soldiers, during the operation that is currently underway in the area," the IDF stated.
Numerous other terrorists from Hamas' Western Jabaliya Battalion who were involved in combat against IDF troops were eliminated during the strike, including Anas Jalal Muhammad Abu Shakian, a commander in the battalion that attacked the area of Kibbutz Mefalism on October 7th, Nor Al-Din Abu Al-Jadyan, a Nukhba terrorist from the battalion, and Sahib Hasan Ali Maser A-Daeem, a terrorist from the battalion.
"The IDF and ISA are continuing to operate against the terrorists who took part in the kidnappings and murders of citizens and IDF soldiers during the October 7th Massacre, and who continue to pose a threat to Israel's security," the IDF stated.
The IDF emphasized "that the area in question is an active combat zone. The IDF operates precisely against the Hamas terrorist organization, which plans and executes terrorist activity from civilian areas."
Prior to the strikes, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk to civilians, including the use of aerial surveillance, warning the population in the area to evacuate the active combat zone, and additional intelligence information.
"It should be emphasized that in the past, false and exaggerated reports have been circulated on Palestinian networks, which did not align with the information held by the IDF. The IDF emphasizes the need to be cautious of information published by unreliable sources," the military stated.