The Israeli Air Force last Friday struck and killed Mahmoud al-Aswad, who served as Hamas's General Security Apparatus leader in the Gaza Strip, the military announced the following Wednesday.
Aswad operated as the terrorist organization's general security leader for Western Gaza, with the military describing him as a "significant source of knowledge" for Hamas.
The strike was conducted following IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) intelligence.
Additionally, IDF soldiers operated in Jabalya and the outskirts of Gaza City, dismantling terrorist infrastructure and killing Hamas personnel, amid the upcoming operation to take over Gaza City. In the northern city, the IDF's Givati Brigade under the 162nd Division struck a terror cell and located a weapons storage facility, the military added.
IDF activities in southern Gaza
Meanwhile, in the southern Gaza Strip, Israeli soldiers killed a number of Hamas terrorists who advanced towards the troops in Khan Yunis. The terrorists were killed with the assistance of the IAF.
The military added that underground terrorist infrastructure was also dismantled.
Also in Khan Yunis, a maritime weapons storage facility and a repair site were struck by the IAF.
Additionally, the night before Wednesday's operation saw the establishment of the IDF's 607th Engineering Battalion, which the military stated was "established following the lessons learned following October 7," and that they "began operating for the first time in the Gaza Strip under the command of the Givati Brigade Combat Team."