Israeli forces in Gaza struck a vehicle carrying one of the terrorists who carried out the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, the Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said on Saturday.
Security forces had been monitoring the target for some time, and the strike was carried out “following credible information regarding his real-time location,” according to the statement.
The IDF is investigating whether the terrorist was employed by the World Central Kitchen, an NGO based in Washington, D.C.
The military spokesman emphasized that the terrorist was traveling in an unmarked civilian vehicle when the strike was carried out, and was not on a coordinated aid route.
WCK on Saturday denied knowledge that any of the vehicle’s occupants were linked to the Oct. 7 attack, and announced a pause in its Gaza operations as a result of the incident.
“We are heartbroken to share that a vehicle carrying World Central Kitchen colleagues was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. At this time, we are working with incomplete information and are urgently seeking more details. World Central Kitchen had no knowledge that any individual in the vehicle had alleged ties to the October 7th Hamas attack. World Central Kitchen is pausing operations in Gaza at this time. Our hearts are with our colleagues and their families in this unimaginable moment,” the NGO tweeted.
Meanwhile, the IDF’s Nahal Brigade, operating in the Rafah area in Southern Gaza, located “numerous weapons” near a hospital and a mosque, the military said in a separate statement.
Among the weapons found were anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles, ammunition, AK-47 rifles, grenades and military vests, the IDF said.
The brigade further eliminated a terrorist cell that had placed explosive devices in the Rafah area, the statement added.
Last week, the Israeli Air Force eliminated a senior member of Hamas’s Gaza City Brigade sniper unit.
Mumin al-Jabari had operated out of a former school, directing and carrying out attacks against IDF troops, according to the military. A large amount of armaments was also stored in the building, the IDF said.
The IAF struck the same structure in August, killing over 30 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists.
The IDF stressed that many steps were taken before that strike to minimize harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance and additional intelligence.
“This is another example of the Islamic Jihad’s systematic exploitation of civilian infrastructure and the civilian population as a human shield for its terrorist activities,” the IDF said.
“The IDF will continue to operate against terrorists who embed themselves in schools and other civilian infrastructure as a shelter.”
Following the Nov. 27 Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, Hamas indicated that it was prepared for a truce as well.
“We have informed mediators in Egypt, Qatar and Turkey that Hamas is ready for a ceasefire agreement and a serious deal to exchange prisoners,” a Hamas official told the AFP news agency.
The Gaza-based terror group in early November rejected a small-scale ceasefire proposed by Egypt. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi had put forward a 12-day proposal at the end of October that would have started with a 48-hour ceasefire followed by Hamas releasing four captives over the next 10 days, according to The Times of Israel, which cited two Arab diplomats.