The IDF said Tuesday it killed Hamas naval cell commander Osama Naim Hamdi Shamlakh in a strike in Gaza City. In a separate strike in the northern Strip, three armed Hamas operatives advancing attack plots against Israeli forces were also eliminated, the military said.
The Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday that it killed three armed Hamas operatives in a separate airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip, in addition to the earlier reported elimination of Hamas naval cell commander Osama Naim Hamdi Shamlakh. The military described the operatives as an immediate threat who were advancing attack plots against Israeli forces. The announcement, made at 14:19 Jerusalem, provides the first official confirmation of the operatives' deaths, which were not included in the IDF's most recent statement on the commander's killing.
The IDF first reported Shamlakh's elimination at 09:02 Jerusalem Tuesday, identifying him as the commander of a Hamas naval cell responsible for rebuilding the group's maritime capabilities. At 12:04 Jerusalem, the military released additional details on his role and the circumstances of the strike. The current update adds the three operatives, who were killed in a separate strike. Initial reports from the IDF at 09:02 had mentioned the operatives, but subsequent statements focused on the commander alone.
The strikes are part of a broader campaign by the IDF against Hamas commanders in Gaza. As The Zioneer reported on June 15, the IDF killed two Hamas cell commanders in central and northern Gaza. In recent weeks, the military has also eliminated a Hamas naval police commander and other senior operatives, as documented in The Zioneer's coverage.
The IDF did not specify the exact time or location of the northern Gaza strike beyond saying it was separate from the one that killed Shamlakh. The claims remain based solely on military statements, with no independent verification.
3 developments
- StrongIDF kills two Hamas cell commanders in central and northern Gaza strikes
- StrongIDF strikes Hamas naval police headquarters and weapon warehouses in Gaza, kills commander
- StrongIDF kills four Hamas commanders including Oct. 7 infiltration leader and naval police chief
- DevelopingIDF, Shin Bet kill three Hamas commanders in northern Gaza strike
Source and signal
- Internal intake