Israeli forces on Wednesday eliminated Imad Hassan Hussein Aslim, deputy commander of Hamas’s Gaza Brigade, who commanded the Zeitoun Battalion’s infiltration into Israeli territory during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, the military said on Friday.
According to the statement, Aslim directed dozens of attacks against Israel Defense Forces troops operating in the Gaza Strip.
Another Hamas terrorist was present at the site of the strike, the military said, adding that the results of the operation remain under review.
Measures were taken to mitigate civilian harm, including the use of precision-guided munitions and aerial surveillance, the statement said.
“IDF troops under the Southern Command remain deployed in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat,” the military said.
On Tuesday, the IDF killed Ihab Khrizim, the head of a central Hamas money-transfer network, in a strike in the Khan Yunis area of southern Gaza.
According to the IDF, Khrizim oversaw the transfer of millions of dollars used to finance Hamas “military” activities. He continued operating in violation of the ceasefire and played a role in facilitating attacks against Israeli troops and civilians.
“Khrizim’s elimination constitutes a significant blow to Hamas’s rehabilitation and force-building efforts,” the IDF said.
The strike also killed Mohammed al-Habash, identified as a unit commander in Hamas’s weapons production headquarters.
Also on Tuesday, the IDF killed Mohammed Odeh, the new head of Hamas’s “military” wing and a key figure in the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.
Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed his elimination on Wednesday, writing in an X post that he was “sent to meet his partners in the depths of hell” and congratulating forces “for the brilliant execution” of the operation.
The confirmation followed a joint statement issued Tuesday night by Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announcing that the terrorist leader in Gaza had been targeted.
They said that Odeh led Hamas’s intelligence unit during the Oct. 7 massacre, and had been appointed just over a week ago to replace Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza on May 15.
