IDF kills 15 Hamas terrorists, including Oct. 7 perpetrators

In recent days, Israeli forces in Gaza have carried out targeted killings of around 15 Hamas terrorists, including some who participated in the Oct. 7 massacres, the Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday.

A Hamas General Security Service operative was among the terrorists killed in Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Israeli fighter jets carried out numerous attacks in Gaza in support of ground forces. The strikes destroyed buildings, launch positions and underground infrastructure belonging to Hamas.

In the center of the Gaza Strip, the Nahal Infantry Brigade killed several terrorists, including a Hamas observation commander.

Meanwhile, an Israeli Navy vessel detected a terrorist squad approaching ground forces. The naval and ground forces worked in cooperation to eliminate the squad.

In Khan Yunis, soldiers continued to eliminate terrorist squads and raided several Hamas facilities, seizing weapons, explosive charges and military equipment.

Elsewhere in Khan Yunis, a combat team identified two Hamas observers operating in a nearby area. The soldiers directed an airstrike that eliminated the threat.

Other terrorists were killed by sniper fire and tank shelling.

Some 1,200 men, women and children were murdered, thousands more wounded, and 253 Israelis and foreigners taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on Oct. 7. Of the remaining 134 hostages, Israel recently declared 32 of them dead, with unconfirmed reports indicating that at least 20 additional captives may no longer be alive.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant briefed his U.S. counterpart Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday about the war effort against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Gallant and Austin discussed the successful rescue operation in Rafah of two Israelis held hostage by the terrorist group, with Gallant stressing the importance “of ongoing military pressure and additional efforts to ensure the release of hostages.”

The two men also talked about the ongoing threat and attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon, which have resulted in Israeli civilian and military casualties, including a 20-year-old female soldier killed in a rocket attack by the Iranian terror proxy on Safed on Wednesday.

“The State of Israel will not tolerate attacks on its citizens. Minister Gallant reiterated his commitment to ensuring security on the northern border and the safe return [to their homes] of displaced citizens—whether it be via diplomatic channels or military action,” according to the Defense Ministry readout.

Gallant thanked the Biden administration and Austin for their support.

According to the Pentagon readout of the call, the pair also “discussed the importance of safeguarding civilians and ensuring the movement of and access to humanitarian assistance before any operations against Hamas in Rafah.”