IDF, Shin Bet eliminate Hamas commander in Gaza

Tel Aviv, Oct 25

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday said that in a joint operation with the Shin Bet intelligence agency, it killed Hamas commander Taysir Mubashir in Khan Younis, a city in the southern Gaza Strip.

The IDF said that Mubashir was responsible for several attacks on the Jewish nation and murder of five Israeli military students.

Mubashir had earlier commanded the Hamas's naval unit and is considered close to Mohammed Deif, the head of the military branch of the militant group.

Israel officials said that the commander had produced the ammunitio’s that were detonated from a Hamas terror tunnel near the Orhan outpost in 2004 leading to the killing of Israel soldier Sergeant Roi Nissim .

The IDF said that he was also involved in the attack on Zikim Beach during Operation Protective Edge in 2014.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli military had said that it launched extensive attacks on the besieged enclave, targeting "Hamas operatives and terrorist infrastructure", adding that tunnel shafts, military headquarters and munition warehouses were destroyed.

On Tuesday, the IDF said it hit at least 400 sites and 320 the previous day.