Unusual Operation Deep Inside Gaza: ‘Senior Hamas Operative Arrested’

A senior Hamas operative was arrested today (Tuesday) in the Gaza Strip following an unusual operation in which exchanges of fire and Israeli Air Force strikes were reported. According to reports in Arab media outlets, he is the head of the terror organization’s General Security apparatus in the Strip.

The IDF Spokesperson said that “the IDF recently struck several targets in the Gaza Strip area in order to remove threats to security forces. There were no casualties among our forces.” Defense Minister Israel Katz announced: “A senior Hamas operative was arrested in Gaza a short time ago.”

Accounts of the military operation’s objective differ. Some Palestinian reports claimed that militia members tried to abduct the senior figure, while a source on Qatar’s Al Araby channel cited a security source who said it was an attempted assassination.

According to the source, armed militia members arrived in the al-Katiba area in western Gaza City and opened fire at two people. According to the report, one of them, the target of the operation, is a senior official in Hamas’s internal security apparatus. The source further claimed that during the incident, the IDF struck a vehicle in the area in order to provide cover for the militia members.

Additional reports from the Strip claimed that the militia members entered the area on motorcycles. Heavy fire was opened at them during the operation, prompting the Air Force to intervene and strike in the area to allow them to withdraw.

At the same time, residents in the Strip reported an intense series of strikes in western Gaza City. According to reports, at least 12 strikes were carried out in the area in a short period of time, and numerous explosions were heard at the scene.