Courtesy of JNS. Photo credit: IDF
Israeli troops and a Merkava tank operating in the Gaza Strip
(JNS) — The Israel Defense Forces last week killed Nasser Musa, a senior operative in Hamas’s Rafah Brigade who headed the terrorist group’s Military Control Department, in a strike near Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, the military announced on Friday.
Musa, killed on Aug. 9, was responsible for the operational readiness and training of the Rafah Brigade, which carried out attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians during the war.
He was a close associate of Rafah Brigade commander Mohammad Sabaneh, who was killed in May 2025. He also held multiple positions within the brigade, including in military intelligence and the observation network.
“Musa’s elimination further degrades the Rafah Brigade’s operational capabilities and Hamas terrorists’ abilities,” said the IDF.
Meanwhile, the IDF continues operations in Khan Yunis. On Thursday, it struck a structure used by terrorist groups to store rockets intended for attacks on Israeli targets. Troops also located and dismantled additional terrorist infrastructure and neutralized active terrorist cells.
In northern Gaza, IDF soldiers killed terrorists and demolished tunnel shafts, and “continue to defend the civilians of the communities near the Strip,” the military added.
Earlier this week, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir confirmed a new phase in the war against Hamas, focused on securing operational control of Gaza City.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will not occupy the enclave, saying the expansion of the war is aimed at destroying Hamas and freeing the local population from its regime of terror.
On Thursday night, Netanyahu outlined conditions for ending the fighting, including the full disarmament of Hamas; the return of all 49 remaining hostages kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023 and of the remains of Lt. Hadar Goldin, taken in 2014; the demilitarization of the entire Strip; security control of Gaza by the IDF; and establishing “an alternative civilian administration” in the enclave.
