Israel Seizes Key Hamas Officer Amid Gaza Raid, Three Civilians Killed
Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz announced that a senior member of the Palestinian militant group Hamas had been captured during a raid in Gaza City. The announcement came after reports that Israeli special forces and an Israel‑backed Palestinian militia conducted a nighttime operation in the north‑central part of the city.
Simultaneously, Israeli air strikes targeting the area killed two children and a woman, according to local medics. A third child was killed in a separate strike in central Gaza. The ministry did not disclose the identity of the captured commander.
Gantz emphasized that Israeli forces continue to act “at all times” to neutralise threats. "A senior Hamas terrorist was arrested recently, and this is our policy: we do not wait for threats but pursue and destroy them," he said.
Reports describe the raid as part of a coordinated effort, including ground troops from Netiv HaAsara – a kibbutz adjacent to northern Gaza – and the alleged presence of a pro‑Israeli Palestinian militia. Israeli officials say the operation targeted a high‑ranking Hamas internal security official, though details remain unverified.
The Gaza war, sparked by Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel, has now seen more than 73,000 casualties in the Palestinian territory, according to the Hamas‑run health ministry figures considered reliable by the United Nations.
A car was destroyed by an Israeli strike in Gaza City’s Rimal neighbourhood – AFP via Getty Images.
