The IDF and Shin Bet confirmed Monday that they eliminated the head of Hamas internal security for the central Gaza Strip. The announcement follows an earlier report from The Zioneer identifying the target. The role is responsible for intelligence gathering that supports terror plots against Israel.
At 16:05 Jerusalem, the IDF and Shin Bet issued a joint statement confirming the elimination of Wael Mousa Khaled Lada'awi, the head of Hamas's internal security for the Central Camps, in a strike in Deir al-Balah. The confirmation follows an earlier report from The Zioneer at 16:00 identifying the target. According to the statement, Lada'awi's unit was responsible for intelligence gathering that advanced terror plots against Israel, collecting information for senior Hamas officials and facilitating attacks.
The confirmation caps a day of evolving reports. On Sunday, July 26, at 12:38 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Hamas's Interior Ministry first claimed the elimination of Lada'awi and an officer, Ramiz Abu Zureik, in a vehicle strike. An N12 journalist subsequently confirmed the identity, and the IDF and Shin Bet then issued a series of statements confirming the operation and detailing the target's role. Over the course of the thread, the reporting evolved from an unverified Hamas claim to an official Israeli security confirmation, with the military describing Lada'awi's unit as a secret intelligence-gathering mechanism that served senior Hamas officials and advanced terror plots.
The elimination is part of ongoing Israeli operations targeting Hamas's command and control in the central Gaza Strip. As The Zioneer reported on July 14, similar operations have eliminated internal security chiefs in other areas, including Mohammed Marwan Mohammed Salem, head of the military security department for the Central Jabaliya Battalion. The strikes are part of a broader effort to dismantle Hamas's internal security infrastructure, which is critical for the organization's ability to gather intelligence, maintain control, and plan attacks.
The officer killed alongside Lada'awi, Ramiz Abu Zureik, was identified in earlier reports but was not mentioned in the current confirmation. No further details on his role were provided.
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