Israeli air force on Tuesday said that it has eliminated senior Hamas operative Ayman Nofal in Gaza airstrikes. Nofal was the former head of Hamas's military intelligence and he commander of Hamas central brigade in Gaza.
Earlier, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that Hamas members had two options: to surrender or to die. Israel has been conducting frequent airstrikes in Gaza making it unsafe for civilians even in the southern side of the Strip. Ahead of the ground attack, Gazans in the north was asked to move to the south to safety. However, airstrikes even in the south made it difficult for the civilans to find a safe place.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, death toll crossed 3,000 since the Hamas attack on October 7.
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Taking to X, Israel Defence Force (IDF) said that “we just eliminated Ayman Nofal, a senior Hamas operative.” IDF added that Nofal was the Commander of Hamas’ Central Brigade in Gaza and the former head of military intelligence.
Nofal directed many attacks against Israeli civilians and besides being one of the most dominant figures in the terrorist organization, he was involved in the planning of the abduction of Gilad Shalit. Shalit, the Israeli soldier was seized by Hamas in 2006. Later, he was freed in a deal that involved the release of 1,027 Palestinians.
“Air Force fighter jets, under joint intelligence guidance with the Shin Bet, killed one of the senior members of the Hamas terrorist organization, Ayman Nofal, who served as the commander of the Hamas central camps brigade in the Gaza Strip, and as the former head of Hamas’s military intelligence,” said airforce in its statement.
“By virtue of his duties, he directed many terrorist attacks against Israel and the security forces, and he directed the targets of Hamas’s rocket fire, specifically targeting areas populated by uninvolved civilians,” it added.
The statement also said Nofal was involved in the production and development of weapons, promoted and was a partner in many terrorist attacks.
"Our warplanes will reach everywhere...every missile has an address. We will reach each and every one of the members of Hamas," Gallant was quoted by the Times of Israel. "There is no third option for Hamas members. We will wipe out the Hamas organisation and dismantle all of its capabilities," he added.
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