Hamas military leader Hadi Mustafa killed in IDF strike on Lebanon

Two men were reported to have been killed by a strike in Lebanon early on Wednesday, with one having been revealed to be a leader in the Izz ad-Din al-Qassan Brigades in Lebanon.

 Lebanese army soldiers secure a site that was hit by a strike, in Saraain (photo credit: REUTERS/MOHAMED AZAKIR)
Lebanese army soldiers secure a site that was hit by a strike, in Saraain
(photo credit: REUTERS/MOHAMED AZAKIR)

The IDF Spokesperson's Unit confirmed on Wednesday that a fighter jet killed senior Hamas terrorist Hadi Mustafa in Lebanon.

Mustafa was a key Hamas operative in Lebanon and directed terror squads and promoted attacks against Israel

Also, he had links to Saleh al-Arouri, Hamas’s deputy leader outside of Gaza, whom Israel assassinated in early January.

Mustafa was killed while in a vehicle on Wednesday morning in Tyre, near the Rashidieh Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon.

Hours before the IDF said anything Hamas confirmed that the terrorist killed in Tyre was Hadi Mustafa, a senior member of their military wing in Lebanon.

 Lebanese army soldiers secure a site that was hit by a strike, in Saraain (credit: REUTERS/MOHAMED AZAKIR)
Lebanese army soldiers secure a site that was hit by a strike, in Saraain (credit: REUTERS/MOHAMED AZAKIR)

Hezbollah newspaper announces two killed in airstrike

Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is associated with Hezbollah, announced that two people were killed in an airstrike in Tyre and reported that the man driving the car was the main target.

The Saudi news source Al-Hadath also reported that one person was killed in the airstrike, naming the terrorist and his affiliation with Hamas.

Besides that attack, the IDF also attacked structures used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon’s Qantara and Yater areas.

In addition, the IDF struck a rocket launcher and another Hezbollah structure in Aalma al-Chaeb.

For its part, Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel on Wednesday dropped steeply to single digits from over 100 rockets as compared to Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant hinted that the IDF will eventually invade Rafah, speaking during a Wednesday visit to Gaza City.

Gallant warned that "those who think we are delaying [the invasion of Rafah] will soon see that there is no place we cannot reach.

"Our forces can reach any place, and the conclusion is that there is no safe haven for terrorists in Gaza," the defense minister added.

"We will bring every single person involved in the October 7 massacre to justice - we will either kill them or bring them to trial in Israel. There is no safe space, not here, not outside Gaza, not across the entire Middle East.

"We will put everyone in their place," Gallant said.

No imminent move to invade Rafah

Despite Gallant’s implied threat regarding Rafah, The Jerusalem Post understands that there is no imminent move to invade Rafah, and that the chances of any invasion during the month of Ramadan are extremely low.

Separately, the IDF fired warning shots at two individuals suspected of being Hamas terrorists on Wednesday.

The two suspects were approaching Zikim Beach off the northern shores of the Gaza Strip. The incident is currently under investigation.

The suspects were dressed in diving gear, and the two violated the security instructions in the maritime space in the northern Gaza Strip.

In southern Gaza, soldiers from the Egoz special forces unit killed terrorists fortified in a Khan Yunis building.

Throughout Wednesday, the Egoz Unit exchanged fire with a squad of seven terrorists who had barricaded themselves in a building in the Hemed neighborhood in Khan Yunis. In a coordinated attack with aircraft and isolating the Hamas forces, the soldiers killed several terrorists.

The IDF's 98th Division continued fighting in the Hemed, Absanim, and Al Qarara neighborhoods in Khan Yunis, where they killed terrorists as soldiers extended operations in the area.

Soldiers from the Maglan special forces unit also located and confiscated weapons within the Hemed neighborhood.

The air force also killed a terrorist responsible for launching multiple rockets toward Israeli territory, including rocket launches on October 7.

Under the direction of the Gaza Division, troops carried out extensive attacks against terrorists in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, where they destroyed terrorist infrastructure, including operational shafts, anti-tank launching positions, and points where terrorists coordinated their moves.