The military identified the killed operative as Muhammad Fathi Abd al-Hay Abu Fakher, commander of the 'Yabna' Battalion in Hamas's Rafah Brigade, and a veteran commander who oversaw weapons smuggling into Gaza for roughly 20 years. The announcement follows Monday's strike that eliminated him.
The IDF and Shin Bet on Monday eliminated Muhammad Fathi Abd al-Hay Abu Fakher, commander of the 'Yabna' Battalion in Hamas's Rafah Brigade, in a strike in southern Gaza. In a detailed statement released Tuesday, the military said Abu Fakher was a veteran Hamas commander for roughly 20 years and a senior figure in the military wing's supply department, responsible for orchestrating weapons smuggling into the Strip. Recently, he had been recruiting new operatives and leading training to rebuild the battalion's capabilities to attack Israeli forces.
As The Zioneer reported earlier Tuesday, the elimination was initially announced as a strike targeting a senior Hamas commander in Rafah. The follow-up identification confirms Abu Fakher's long-standing role in smuggling operations, which the military described as a central pillar of Hamas's military wing. Video footage of the strike was released by the IDF.
The operation is part of an ongoing campaign by the IDF and Shin Bet to dismantle Hamas command and logistics infrastructure in Rafah. Previous targeted operations in the area include the elimination of Ismail Masri, the Rafah Brigade's military security chief, last week.
3 developments
- StrongIDF eliminates Hamas Rafah Brigade battalion commander, veteran smuggler
- StrongIDF eliminates senior Hamas operative involved in holding hostages
- StrongIDF eliminates Hamas Oct. 7 infiltrator who was rebuilding terror capabilities in Gaza
- DevelopingIDF eliminates senior Hamas commander involved in October 7 infiltration at Kisufim
Source and signal
- Internal intake