The Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) on Thursday confirmed the death of Haytham Sheikh Khalil, commander of Hamas’s Shuja’iyya Battalion, in an airstrike on a command center in Gaza City.
Khalil, a key figure in the Oct. 7, 2023 Nahal Oz attack, was responsible for directing assaults on Israeli forces and overseeing explosives and tunnel operations. He took command after the deaths of previous battalion leaders.
The IDF said the strike was based on intelligence and surveillance, and aimed at minimizing civilian harm. It reiterated that Hamas embeds military assets in civilian areas.
Israeli ground forces advance in Gaza
Israeli troops expanded operations across Gaza on Thursday, focusing on Rafah’s Tel al-Sultan and Shaboura neighborhoods, and the Morag Corridor. Dozens of Hamas targets, including tunnels and infrastructure, were located and destroyed.
In the north, IDF units eliminated gunmen and dismantled terror sites. The Israeli Air Force struck 35 Hamas positions posing immediate threats to troops.