An Israeli aerial strike on Monday killed the head of Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s rocket and missile unit in the Rafah area of southern Gaza.
Ahmed Aish Salame al-Hashash was embedded and operating inside the humanitarian zone in Khan Yunis when he was eliminated in the precision attack, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
“Al-Hashash was responsible for the Islamic Jihad’s rocket attacks in the Rafah Brigade and was an important source of knowledge […] within the Islamic Jihad terror organization in Gaza,” the IDF said.
“During the war, al-Hashash was responsible for firing rockets from inside the Humanitarian Zone toward Israeli civilians.”
The military emphasized that before conducting the strike, many steps were taken to minimize the threat to noncombatants, including the choice of munitions, aerial surveillance and the collection of additional intelligence.
“The terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip continue to systematically abuse civilian and humanitarian infrastructure to carry out terrorist activities and attacks on Israeli civilians,” the IDF statement concluded.
“The IDF will continue to operate against the terrorist organizations in defense of the State of Israel.”
Soldier seriously wounded
A reserve soldier in the IDF’s 846th Battalion, Givati Brigade, was seriously wounded during combat operations in the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said on Tuesday morning.
He was evacuated to a hospital for treatment and his family was notified.
IDF’s 5th Brigade deployed to Gaza’s Netzarim Corridor
The Israel Defense Forces’ 5th Infantry Brigade has been stationed in the Netzarim Corridor that splits the Gaza Strip between north and south, the army announced on Monday.
It is the second time the brigade has operated in the coastal enclave since Israeli forces entered the territory on Oct. 27.
The brigade’s first tour of duty entailed protecting Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip in the first days of the war and ridding them of terrorists, before months of combat in the areas of Beit Hanun, Kherbat Ahzaa and the central corridor.
The brigade falls under the command of the 252nd Division, which in recent months has been operating against Hamas and working to expand the axis dividing the northern and southern Strip.
“In the last few days, the brigade’s fighters completed a series of training and exercises at the Ground Forces Training Center (GTC). The forces carried out training and exercises in warfare in open and built-up areas and raised their operational competence in preparation for their mission in the center of the Gaza Strip,” the IDF said.
“In addition, the forces completed logistical preparation and held mobility, supplies and immediate medical response training in preparation for the fighting.”
