The IDF killed the head of Hamas’s Beit Hanun sniper unit in northern Gaza, the military confirmed on Wednesday.
Ahmad Hasan’s elimination was carried out after a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire earlier this week, the IDF said.
Hasan caused deaths of multiple IDF soldiers, military says
Hasan led the July 7 operation in northern Gaza in which Sgt.-Maj. (res.) Benyamin Asulin, St.-Sgt. Noam Aharon Musgadian, St.-Sgt. Meir Shimon Amar, Sgt. Moshe Nissim Frech, and St.-Sgt. Moshe Shmuel Noll were killed and two other soldiers were severely wounded, according to the army.
He also helped advance an April 19 attack that killed 1st Sgt. G’haleb Sliman Alnasasra and severely wounded a tracker, a combat officer, and a female combat medic, the IDF shared.
The military further linked Hasan to an April 24 incident in which M.-Sgt. (res.) Asaf Cafri was killed and two soldiers were severely wounded.
It said it “will continue to operate against any attempt by terror organizations in the Gaza Strip to carry out attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel.”
Additionally, the military confirmed it killed Basel Himoni in Gaza, a Hamas terrorist who masterminded a deadly 2004 terror attack.
In August 2004, Himoni sent several suicide bombers to carry out a double attack on two buses in Beersheba. Sixteen people were killed, and around 100 were wounded. Himoni was arrested and sentenced to prison but was freed and deported to Gaza as part of the 2011 Gilad Schalit prisoner exchange.
“Since his release, the terrorist has returned to recruiting terrorists and directing terrorist activity. As a Hamas terrorist, the terrorist was involved during the war in manufacturing and planting explosives to harm our forces,” the IDF said.