IDF eliminates Hamas commander of Shati Battalion, Haitham Khuwajari

An IDF fighter jet conducted a targeted strike in the area of the Shati refugee camp outside of Gaza City, successfully killing the commander of Hamas’s Shati Battalion, Haitham Khuwajari, the IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) said on Sunday evening.

"Today, the IDF, based on guidance by the Shin Bet and intelligence units, and as part of the Southern Command's operation, targeted and killed the commander of the Shati Battalion through an airstrike," IDF Spokesperson R.- Adm. Daniel Hagari stated during a subsequent press briefing.

The military noted that Khuwajari, in addition to being the commander of the Hamas forces in the Shati area, was one of the Hamas commanders who orchestrated the deadly Hamas rampage in southern Israel on October 7.

Securing Hamas activity inside of Al-Shifa Hospital

The IDF also said that Khuwajari was responsible for facilitating Hamas activity inside Al-Shifa Hospital and had previously carried out a number of terrorist attacks on Israelis.

"Under his command, there were also infiltrations into Israeli territory, including the brutal massacre on October 7," Hagari said. "We will continue to pursue, locate and eliminate every commander who terrorizes the area under their control, as we did yesterday in the Shejaiya Battalion.

On Saturday, the IDF eliminated Hamas's Shejaiya Battalion commander Wissam Farhat, the terrorist responsible for directing the attack against Nahal Oz on October 7.

The army subsequently warned the remaining Shejaiya Battalion commanders that they had the option to either surrender or be similarly eliminated.