Israel captures Hamas security chief in Gaza raid that killed 4 — SkimNews
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- Netanyahu announced Israeli special forces captured the head of Hamas's internal security service in a Gaza City ground operation and took him to Israel for questioning, accusing him of concealing hostages and attempting to restore Hamas's governance.
- Israeli air strikes during the raid killed at least four Palestinians, including two children and a woman, with medics and Hamas condemning the operation as a 'grave crime' and a ceasefire violation.
- Witnesses in Gaza City's Katiba area described a jeep firing 'indiscriminately left and right' for over 15 minutes and five or six strikes in less than three minutes, according to AFP.
- Hamas media office spokesman Ismail al-Thawabta said the Israeli special forces unit was 'exposed' during the mission and 'several members' were killed, directly contradicting the IDF's claim of no injuries.
- Netanyahu said the captured official was 'one of the most senior Hamas leaders,' responsible for transporting hostages, sheltering Hamas leaders, and military build-up efforts.
- In a separate incident, the IDF struck a Hamas military wing commander in Jabalia, seriously injuring a Civil Defence first responder at his station.
- Since the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack, more than 73,460 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures the UN considers reliable.
Why it matters: The raid exposes the fragility of the ceasefire Hamas cited in its condemnation, while Netanyahu frames the arrest as a blow to hostage concealment and Hamas governance. Civilian deaths during the operation — including two children and a woman — underscore the lethal cost of targeted raids in dense urban Gaza, where over 73,460 have been killed since October 2023.
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