Israel Defense Forces special forces raided the home of a senior Hamas police officer (rank of lieutenant colonel) in Khan Younis early Wednesday morning, arresting him and another suspect and bringing them for questioning in Israel, according to reports from Gaza.
Israeli special forces operatives infiltrated southern Gaza early Wednesday, abducted a senior Hamas police officer, Colonel Sabri Abdel Aal, and a second individual, then withdrew toward the security line, according to Gaza sources cited by the Abu Ali Express outlet. The force, described as 15–20 operatives accompanied by police dogs, struck in Khan Younis. By mid-morning, Gaza sources circulated an old photograph of Abdel Aal counting banknotes, with a taunting caption questioning what he might be counting now.
The initial report was published at 10:31 Jerusalem today by Abu Ali Express, based on unspecified Gaza sources. A subsequent report at the same hour added the photograph. Both reports identify Abdel Aal as a senior police officer with the rank equivalent to lieutenant colonel in Hamas's internal security apparatus. No official confirmation or statement has been issued by the Israel Defense Forces or the Shin Bet, and the source channel remains limited to a single outlet citing local sources.
The abduction deepens a known pattern of Israeli intelligence-gathering through targeted raids deep inside Gaza. As The Zioneer reported in June and August, IDF operations in the Khan Younis area have eliminated a Hamas battalion commander and a company commander, among other precision strikes. Israeli special forces and undercover units have also detained senior Hamas operatives in Judea and Samaria in operations guided by the Shin Bet.
The identity of the second detainee has not been disclosed. The specific intelligence that led to the raid has not been made public, and no independent verification of the photograph's source or timing is available. It remains unclear whether the IDF will formally confirm the operation.
2 developments
- DevelopingIDF forces detain 7 Palestinians in eastern Khan Yunis, Gaza sources say
- DevelopingIDF soldier arrested in Bat Yam; weapons cache investigation transferred to Military Police special unit
- StrongIDF confirms targeted strike on Hamas vehicle in Khan Younis, two operatives killed
- StrongIDF strikes Hamas naval police headquarters and weapon warehouses in Gaza, kills commander
Source and signal
- Open-source intake