Following the strike in Gaza, an Israeli security official said there were initial indications that Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the leader of Hamas’ military wing and considered one of the architects of the Oct. 7 massacre, had been eliminated.
IDF officials warn that the quiet from Gaza is “misleading.” On the ground, Hamas supplies itself through smuggling from the air, sea and land, rebuilding its strength and rearming. The humanitarian aid it has seized is giving it cash and oxygen. That is why officials believe it is now important for Israel to keep insisting on advancing an agreement to demilitarize the Gaza Strip.
According to reports from activists on board, Israeli troops, who they claimed arrived in speedboats, boarded some of the vessels and ordered passengers to gather at the front of the boat and sit down in an orderly manner. The flotilla, which includes dozens of boats, set sail from Barcelona about 10 days ago en route to the Strip.
Organized under the banner of humanitarian aid, the convoy – which includes the sister of Ireland's president – has been sanctioned by Israel's defense minister as a Hamas-linked operation.
According to an i24NEWS report, a senior Shin Bet official took part in smuggling goods into the Gaza Strip in exchange for large sums of money. Authorities found 6.5 million shekels, approximately $2.1 million, in his possession.
A senior regional source says Hamas fears its weapons will be seized – because Palestinians themselves may seek revenge against the terror group – and warns Israel to expect a lengthy process.
Ofri Yafe was mistakenly shot due to misidentification during operations in the southern Gaza Strip. He is the first IDF fatality in the Gaza Strip since January 22.
Intelligence analysis revealed terrorists employed seemingly innocent emoji messages to coordinate the massacre, with the coded communication only detected weeks later through phone forensics.
Senior Hamas official Khaled Mashal claimed at a conference in Qatar that it would be sufficient to rely on guarantees such as a long-term ceasefire in Gaza and the “non-public display of weapons.” According to Mashal, mediators are discussing this approach with the Trump administration.
IDF forces operating east of the Yellow Line also uncovered rockets and additional weapons during operations to clear terrorist infrastructure. Four terrorists who endangered the troops were eliminated yesterday in the Yellow Line area.
