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.
🔴 ELIMINATED: The Commander of Hamas' Shejaiya Battalion
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 10, 2025
Haitham Razek Abd al-Karim Sheikh Khali was eliminated, together with other Hamas terrorists, in a precise strike on a command and control center in Gaza City.
Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate… pic.twitter.com/CqTkgiDqSp
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.
כוחות צה"ל ממשיכים בפעילות הקרקעית ברצועת עזה, משמידים תשתיות טרור ומחסלים מחבלים.
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 10, 2025
כוחות אוגדה 36 ממשיכים לפעול במרחב רפיח ובמרחב ציר 'מורג'.
במהלך היממה האחרונה, הכוחות חיסלו מספר מחבלים, איתרו והשמידו תשתיות טרור והמשיכו לפעול לביסוס השליטה המבצעית במרחב.
במקביל, כוחות אוגדת… pic.twitter.com/geLKuQHsGk
In the north, IDF units eliminated gunmen and dismantled terror sites. The Israeli Air Force struck 35 Hamas positions posing immediate threats to troops.
