Israel Kills Senior Hamas Terrorist in Rafah

Latest Developments

Israel killed a senior Hamas terrorist in an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah on March 13. Muhammad Abu Hasna, a commander in Hamas’s Operations Unit, had diverted humanitarian aid to the Palestinian terrorist group, coordinated among armed cadres, and managed an intelligence war room that helped track and target Israeli forces, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet said in a joint statement. Abu Hasna’s death “significantly harms the functioning of various Hamas units in Rafah,” the statement added.

Rafah, abutting the border with Egypt, is the last Hamas stronghold in the Gaza Strip, with four intact terrorist battalions. But Israeli plans to move in ground forces have encountered fierce Western and Arab resistance. Critics cited a need to first relocate hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians who have sheltered there since being displaced by earlier fighting in the north.

“Even those who think that we are delaying will soon see that we will reach everyone,” said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during a visit to the IDF’s 162nd Division. “We will bring to justice anyone who was involved in October 7 — either we will eliminate them or bring them to trial in Israel. There is no safe place, not here, not outside of Gaza, not anywhere across the Middle East — we will bring everyone to their place.”

Expert Analysis

“As with the extraordinary February 12 special forces raid in which two Israeli hostages were rescued from Rafah captivity, Israel has shown that it continues to wield effective precision capabilities despite the ostensible ‘red line’ imposed on its ground troops by President Biden. Abu Hasna’s killing, and other surgical removals that will no doubt follow, may serve to weaken the Hamas forces while Palestinian evacuees are resettled and diplomatic disputes hopefully are settled.” — Mark Dubowitz, FDD CEO

“Israel is seeking to sow discord within the ranks of Hamas by targeting commanders. This strategy aims to weaken the leadership structure of the organization, leaving fighters without proper guidance and giving the Israeli military an upper hand in dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities in the Gaza Strip.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

Related Analysis

“Israel Kills Hamas Terror Orchestrator in Lebanon,” FDD Flash Brief

“Top Hamas Terrorist Targeted, Fate Unclear,” FDD Flash Brief

“10 Things to Know About Hamas,” FDD Insight