The IDF and Shin Bet announced Friday that a precision airstrike in Khan Yunis killed Anas Mahmoud Ahmed Hamdan, a Hamas company commander who held Israeli hostages during the war and served as a close aide to senior Hamas leaders Muhammad Deif and Rafa'a Salameh. The military said Hamdan oversaw the Khan Yunis Brigade's propaganda and was involved in training operatives and planning attacks against Israeli forces and civilians.
The IDF and Shin Bet confirmed on Friday that the Hamas company commander eliminated in a precision airstrike in Khan Yunis on Thursday was Anas Mahmoud Ahmed Hamdan — a key figure who held Israeli hostages and served as a close aide to senior Hamas leaders Muhammad Deif and Rafa'a Salameh, both killed earlier in the war. The official confirmation caps a day of rapidly evolving reports on Thursday, when the first details of the operative's identity and role began to emerge.
At 13:32 Jerusalem on Thursday, The Zioneer first published the name of the eliminated terrorist as Anas Hamdan, citing security sources. Shortly after, a security-affiliated source identified him as a member of Hamas's Shadow Unit, responsible for holding Israeli hostages. A report from Abu Ali Express then specified that Hamdan had personally led the hostage release ceremony for Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas in early February 2025. By the hour, the IDF and Shin Bet issued a formal statement confirming the elimination, detailing his role as a company commander, his involvement in training operatives, and his position as Deif's right-hand man.
The Zioneer has reported extensively on the campaign to dismantle Hamas's command structure in Gaza, including the elimination of senior operatives involved in the October 7 massacre and hostage-taking. Hamdan's killing continues that campaign, targeting those who directly held and documented Israeli hostages during captivity.
No additional details have been provided about the airstrike itself, including the precise time or location within Khan Yunis, or whether any other operatives were hit in the same strike. The broader operational impact of the elimination remains undisclosed.
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