New Delhi: Israel Air Force on Sunday claimed it had killed in an airstrike a high-ranking Hamas commander, Billal Al Qedra, known for his involvement in the October 7 Kibbutz Nirim massacre in Israel.
This targeted operation was executed after Israeli intelligence successfully located Al Qedra in Khan Yunis, a city situated in the southern region of the Gaza Strip. Billal Al Qedra held a prominent role as a commander within the Nukhba force, a specialized naval commando unit operating under Hamas' Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
"As part of the extensive IAF strikes of senior operatives and terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, the IDF and ISA killed the Nukhba commander of the forces in southern Khan Yunis, who was responsible for the Kibbutz Nirim massacre," the Israeli Air Force (IAF) said in a post on X.
"Following ISA intelligence, IAF fighter jets operated in the Gaza Strip and killed Billal Al Qedra last night, the Nukhba commander of the forces in southern Khan Yunis, who’s responsible for the Kibbutz Nirim massacre. Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror operatives were also killed," IAF said. The IAF's statement indicated that aside from Al Qedra, several other operatives from both Hamas and Islamic Jihad were casualties of the airstrike.
Israel's military forces initiated airstrikes against more than 100 military targets in various locations, including Zaytun, Khan Yunis, and west Jabaliya. The primary objectives were to disable Hamas' operational command centres and military facilities, including the elimination of anti-tank missile launch pads and observation posts.
Recently, Hamas conducted a daring cross-border attack against Israel, employing motorized gliders, boats, and ground infiltration. This audacious assault targeted areas like Nirrim, a kibbutz situated just a short distance from the Gaza border, where a tragic massacre occurred.
According to Israeli authorities, multiple lives were lost in the onslaught on this settlement. On Saturday, a separate Israeli airstrike in Gaza City claimed the life of a senior military commander, Murad Abu Murad, who headed Hamas' aerial operations.
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