The Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) killed Muhammad Yazouri, commander of Hamas’s Khan Yunis Brigade, during a strike in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday night, according to a joint security forces statement released on Friday.
Targeted Strike Eliminates Khan Yunis Brigade Commander Muhammad Yazouri
According to the joint IDF and Shin Bet statement, Muhammad Yazouri was killed in a Thursday night strike in the southern Gaza Strip. Prior to his role as brigade commander, Yazouri served in several senior positions within the Khan Yunis Brigade, including deputy commander, commander of the Combat Support Battalion, and head of the brigade’s intelligence department. Security forces stated that Yazouri directed Hamas terrorists to attack Israeli troops and civilians. In recent months, he reportedly worked to advance dozens of attacks against IDF personnel and sought to rebuild the brigade’s capabilities following extensive damage sustained during the war.
The IDF stated that precautions were taken to minimize civilian harm during the operation, utilizing precision munitions and aerial surveillance. Alongside Yazouri, the strike killed Hudheifa Muammar, a company commander, and Muhammad Bahjat Rashi, another Hamas terrorist serving in the brigade.
Rafah Brigade Sniper Cell Head and Nukhba Force Operative Targeted
In a separate operation in the Khan Yunis area on Thursday, the IDF and Shin Bet killed Moamen Jabr al-Sayed Abu Labda, who served as the head of a sniper cell in Hamas’s Rafah Brigade. According to the military, Abu Labda conducted sniper training across the Gaza Strip directed at harming Israeli civilians and IDF troops operating near the Yellow Line. The IDF stated that he was attempting to reconstitute Hamas’s capabilities in systematic violation of the ceasefire.
Additionally, the military announced on Friday that it eliminated Ismail Ibrahim Darwish Kandil, a Hamas Nukhba Force terrorist, in a strike conducted in the Khan Yunis area on Sept. 7. The IDF stated that Kandil had infiltrated Israel and participated in the killing of Nahal Brigade commander Col. Yonatan Steinberg during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. Like others targeted, Kandil allegedly advanced attacks against Israeli forces and civilians while working to restore Hamas’s operational capabilities during the ceasefire.
Military Completes Destruction of Underground Tunnel Network in Beit Hanun
In northern Gaza, the IDF Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade completed the destruction of the tunnel network beneath Beit Hanun, according to the brigade’s commander, Col. Omri Mashiah. Speaking to troops at a Rosh Hashanah toast reported by Channel 12 News, Col. Mashiah described Hamas’s underground routes in the city as “among the most extensive I have seen.”
“With great determination, professionalism and hard work, we completed the mission of destroying them,” Mashiah told soldiers at Ridge 70, a natural mound that previously provided militants an elevated firing position toward Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Remarking that Hamas had turned Beit Hanun into “a real terror town,” the colonel added that “today, we are overlooking its ruins.” The military emphasized that troops under the Southern Command remain deployed in the area in accordance with existing agreements to remove immediate threats.
Outlook and Future Security Operations
The military has indicated that Southern Command forces remain positioned in the region to counter any immediate threats and enforce compliance with operational agreements.
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