On Aug. 22, 2026, the Israel Defense Forces announced the targeted killing of Sharif al-Hasanat, a company commander in the Deir al-Balah Battalion within Hamas’s military wing, during an operation in the central Gaza Strip. According to the IDF, al-Hasanat was killed while posing an immediate threat to troops after participating in efforts to restore underground infrastructure and advancing terrorist attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians.
IDF Operations and Border Incidents
According to the IDF, a terrorist crossed the Yellow Line in southern Gaza and threatened nearby troops on Friday, prompting soldiers to fire and neutralize the individual. In a separate incident earlier that day in central Gaza, troops apprehended a Hamas terrorist armed with a knife after he crossed the Yellow Line; the suspect was transferred to Israel for questioning, according to military statements.
Parallel operations noted that IDF engineering units under the Gaza Division have been clearing terrorist infrastructure east of the Yellow Line. Those reports state that troops sealed two underground tunnel routes spanning a combined length of more than two kilometers by filling them with concrete. The IDF maintains that forces under the Southern Command remain deployed in the area in accordance with the ceasefire agreement framework.
Hostage-Taker Eliminated and Hospital Allegations
In a separate statement regarding ongoing counter-terrorism operations, the IDF announced the elimination on Wednesday of Sabahi Sami Mahmoud Shahata, a platoon commander in Hamas’s military wing. According to the military, Sabahi participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, invasion and massacre of roughly 1,200 people and the kidnapping of 251 others into the Strip. The IDF stated that Sabahi held numerous hostages and participated in the November 2023 handover ceremony of returnees to the Red Cross. The army noted that precise munitions and aerial surveillance were used prior to the strike to mitigate civilian harm.
On Thursday, the IDF and the Shin Bet issued a joint statement accusing Hamas of utilizing Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis for security interrogations, torture, and extortion to maintain population control. The statement alleged that Hamas exploited the medical facility as a center of power, noting that an additional building currently used for interrogations previously housed hospital offices, a cafeteria, and a house of prayer.
Defense Policy and Demilitarization Timeline
Addressing national strategy on Tuesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Israel’s policy for Gaza is to remove threats, eliminate terrorists, and exact retribution from anyone who participated in the Oct. 7 massacre. Katz added that the military will continue acting with force to protect soldiers and ensure the peace of southern communities from within the security zone, which currently comprises roughly half of the Gaza Strip.
On the diplomatic front, U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner announced on Monday that progress toward Gaza’s demilitarization could begin within 30 days. Following a nearly four-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Kushner told Fox News that Washington would not support rebuilding Gaza before demilitarization occurs. Kushner stated that weapons removal could begin within 30 days, while tunnels could be filled in within 60 to 90 days, contingent on cooperation from both sides. The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that Netanyahu and representatives of the U.S.-backed Board of Peace held constructive discussions and agreed to establish two working groups, including one focused specifically on disarmament, to complete the process before postwar reconstruction begins.