In a significant development, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Thursday that they had eliminated three unidentified militants during an ongoing operation in Gaza. According to an official statement, the IDF suspects that one of the deceased could be Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, a prominent figure responsible for orchestrating attacks on Israel.
The IDF, in collaboration with the Israeli Security Agency (ISA), is currently investigating the identities of the militants killed in the operation. At this stage, it remains unconfirmed whether Sinwar is among the dead. The military emphasized that further verification is needed to confirm the identities of those killed.
The operation, which targeted a building in Gaza, revealed no signs of hostages, according to the IDF. The forces conducting the operation have been proceeding with extreme caution, ensuring that civilian safety is maintained. The military has not disclosed additional details about the ongoing mission.
For context, Yahya Sinwar, the suspected militant leader, has been a central figure in Hamas. He played a key role in the planning of the deadly October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which claimed numerous lives. Sinwar assumed leadership of Hamas after the assassination of Ismael Haniyeh in July 2023, an attack believed to have been orchestrated by Israeli forces in Tehran, Iran.
Gaza School Strike Leaves 15 Dead, Including Children
Earlier on Thursday, the Israeli military conducted an airstrike on a school in the Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least 15 people, including five children. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the school had been used as a gathering point by militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed that the strike specifically targeted a group of militants and was part of its broader efforts to eliminate threats posed by these groups. The school, Abu Hussein, located in a densely populated area, saw collateral damage, which the military acknowledged but justified based on the militants’ presence in the area.
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