‘Wherever they Operate’: IDF Eliminates Hamas Terrorists in Lebanon, Gaza

Latest Developments

Hamas Commander Eliminated in Lebanon: The IDF targeted and eliminated Hamas commander Hassan Farhat in an airstrike in Sidon, Lebanon, on April 4. According to the IDF, Farhat was responsible for “numerous terrorist plots against IDF forces and citizens” of Israel, including a rocket attack that killed IDF Sgt. Amar Sara Banjo in February 2024. The IDF said it would “continue to act against Hamas terrorists wherever they operate.”
4 Hamas Terrorists Eliminated in Gaza: Israel killed four Hamas terrorists in Gaza with a “precise strike” on April 3. Shadi Diab Abd al-Hamid Falouji, Mohammed Sharif, Mohammed Hani Atiya Daour, and Mohammed Issa Mahmoud Askari were eliminated in Jabalia inside a Hamas command-and-control center that served as a “central meeting point for the Iran-backed terrorist organization. According to the IDF, Falouji infiltrated into Israel during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, atrocities, and Sharif was involved in the cynical release ceremony of Israeli hostage Agam Berger on January 30.
Hamas Propagandist Killed: The IDF and Shin Bet announced on April 4 that a Hamas propagandist and “psychological terror operative,” Mohammed Saleh al-Bardawil, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza during the week. According to the IDF, Bardawil “played a central role in Hamas’s propaganda apparatus, spreading false information,” and leveraged “media as a tool for psychological terror.” He also produced videos of Israeli hostages while they were still being held in Gaza. Palestinian media reported that Bardawil was killed in Khan Younis on March 31.

FDD Expert Response

“Despite enjoying over a month of respite during the initial phase of the ceasefire, Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups continue to prove incapable of evading Israeli intelligence. Moreover, the revelation regarding Mohammed Bardawil’s role within Hamas serves as another example of the terror organization’s propaganda machine, which persistently disseminates falsehoods to depict its members as civilians. Bardawil is undoubtedly not an isolated case.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“The IDF is acting on critical intelligence to eliminate remaining commanders and high-ranking members of Hamas, wherever they may be. These targeted eliminations will disrupt the Iran-backed group’s operations, force it to replace longstanding leaders with inexperienced members, and significantly weaken the organization’s overall threat.” — Aaron Goren, Research Analyst and Editor

“Israel’s strike against Farhat demonstrates the country’s assessment that with Hezbollah weakened, Hamas may seize the opportunity to expand its role against Israel in Lebanon. Hamas could do so not only by firing rockets against Israel’s northern communities but also by using Lebanon as a base for global terrorist operations against Israeli citizens.” — Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst