IDF eliminates senior Hamas commander in Gaza
(JNS) — The Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) on Thursday confirmed the death of Haytham Sheikh Khalil, commander of Hamas’s Shuja’iyya Battalion, in an airstrike on a command center in Gaza City.
Khalil, a key figure in the Oct. 7, 2023 Nahal Oz attack, was responsible for directing assaults on Israeli forces and overseeing explosives and tunnel operations. He took command after the deaths of previous battalion leaders.
The IDF said the strike was based on intelligence and surveillance, and aimed at minimizing civilian harm. It reiterated that Hamas embeds military assets in civilian areas.
Arab Israelis arrested for smuggling $800,000 from Turkey to Hamas
(JNS) — Israeli security forces recently uncovered a Hamas terrorist financing network run by Arab-Israeli citizens, the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and Israel Police announced in a joint statement on Wednesday.
The network allegedly funneled millions of shekels from Hamas’s Turkey offices to “terrorist infrastructures” in Judea and Samaria.
Following a joint investigation by the Shin Bet and the police’s Lahav 433 National Unit for International Crimes, six Arab suspects have been indicted by the State Attorney’s Office’s Cyber Unit.
The six suspects are being charged with contact with a foreign agent and handling terrorist funds, among other offenses, the two agencies stated.
Hamas urges UK to lift terror designation
(JNS) — Hamas has filed a legal petition asking the U.K. government to remove it from the country’s list of proscribed terrorist organizations. The group argues the label is politically motivated and undermines Britain’s role as a neutral mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Mousa Abu Marzouk, head of Hamas’s international relations office, described the group as a “Palestinian Islamic liberation and resistance movement,” claiming it poses no threat to the United Kingdom. He also accused Britain of siding with Zionist policies.
The petition challenges the U.K.’s Terrorism Act 2000, calling its definitions broad and inconsistently applied. Hamas’s legal team argues the ban restricts free speech and violates international law.
IDF to evacuate Rafah, create buffer zone along Gaza-Egypt border
(JNS) — The Israel Defense Forces is finalizing plans to evacuate Rafah city and establish a strategic buffer zone along Gaza’s southern border, in what Israeli officials describe as a critical step in the dismantling of Hamas’s military presence in the area.
The plan centers on the construction of the Morag Corridor — a new security strip extending from the Mediterranean coast in the west through the former settlement of Morag, and connecting to the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egyptian border, according to Hebrew media reports. The corridor is expected to stretch up to 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) into Gaza, effectively encircling Rafah.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated earlier this week, “Rafah will be evacuated. This area will become a buffer zone to eliminate Hamas’s ability to regroup or smuggle weapons through the southern border.”
