IDF Strikes Hamas Commanders in Gaza; Six Reported Dead

The IDF Spokesperson said Tuesday evening that the IDF struck several Hamas commanders in the Shati area of northern Gaza. According to the IDF, the terrorists had been planning terror attacks against forces operating in the Gaza Strip. The terrorists were struck from the air in order to remove the threat to the forces.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian news agency Shehab reported that "six people were killed in an Israeli strike on a café at the Port of Gaza City." Two strikes were also reported in the fishing harbor area west of Khan Younis.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday evening: "Israel's policy in Gaza, as clarified to the IDF by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and by me, is clear: We remove threats, eliminate terrorists, and settle accounts with everyone who took part in the October 7 massacre. This is how the IDF acted today in eliminating Hamas terrorists, and this is how it will continue to act forcefully in order to protect our soldiers and ensure quiet in the southern communities, from within the security zone."

Meanwhile, the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council announced that a kite bearing Arabic writing was found in the Samchoni Forest, near Kfar Aza. According to the initial assessment, it came from the Gaza Strip. No additional object was attached to the kite. Security forces were dispatched to the scene, and the incident is under investigation. The council said there has been no change in instructions for residents, adding that "we view any incident of this kind in our area seriously."