IDF and Shin Bet Say Hamas Yibna Battalion Commander in Rafah Was Killed

Footage from the strike on Abu Fakh'r (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

The IDF and Shin Bet announced today (Tuesday) that in a joint operation, Mohammed Fathi Abd al-Hai Abu Fakh'r was killed. He served as commander of the Yibna Battalion in Hamas’s Rafah Brigade, part of the group’s military wing. According to the joint statement, the strike was carried out yesterday as part of the ongoing operational activity by Israeli security forces against senior members of the organization in the Gaza Strip.

Defense officials said that in recent months, Abu Fakh'r had been working to restore the strength of the battalion under his command. As part of that effort, he recruited new operatives into the battalion’s ranks, oversaw their training, and worked to strengthen its operational capabilities, with the goal of renewing its activity against IDF forces operating in the Strip.

Alongside his role as commander of the Yibna Battalion, Abu Fakh'r was also a veteran Hamas commander and one of the senior figures in the military wing’s supply department. According to the IDF and Shin Bet, for about 20 years he was a central figure in Hamas’s smuggling network and played a significant role in transferring weapons into the Gaza Strip.

It was also stated that, as part of his responsibilities, he managed and directed the smuggling of weapons into the Strip and led the supply of many of the materials needed for Hamas’s military wing to continue operating. Defense officials attribute to him a central role in building the organization’s capabilities over the years, both in the area of supply and in the area of procurement.

In the joint statement, officials emphasized that the killing of Abu Fakh'r was intended to remove another threat posed by the Hamas terror organization, and that operations against terror operatives in the Strip are continuing on an ongoing basis. The IDF added that Southern Command forces remain deployed in the area in accordance with the existing agreement, and that they "will continue to act to remove any immediate threat."