Six top members of Hamas naval commando forces killed in recent Gaza strikes: IDF

Six top members of Hamas’s naval commando forces were killed in a series of joint operations in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military and Shin Bet said on Friday. The Israeli Navy, Military Intelligence Directorate, Shin Bet, and Southern Command eliminated six senior Hamas naval commandos in recent months as part of Operation “Gideon’s Chariots”. These six terrorists were involved in maritime terror operations during the “Iron Swords” war, targeting Israeli civilians and security forces, the IDF said.
Several of those eliminated also took part in planning the October 7 massacre.

As part of ongoing efforts in the south, the IDF and Shin Bet continue targeting Hamas’s naval forces, striking vessels, weapons depots, and other related assets.

The eliminated men of Hamas naval commando forces were identified by the IDF and Shin Bet as Ramzi Salah, the naval forces commander in northern Gaza; Jamal al-Baba, the naval forces commander in central Gaza; Ratab Abu Sahiban, the naval forces commander in Gaza City; Omar Abu Jalala, the naval forces commander in Khan Younis; Mohammed Qashta, the naval forces commander in Rafah; and Ahmad Ali, the successor to Abu Sahiban as commander of the naval forces in Gaza City.

The IDF had already announced Salah’s death earlier this month, in a strike on a cafe that reportedly killed 24 people.

IDF issues evacuation warning to Palestinians ahead of strikes on Hamas targets

Meanwhile, the IDF issued an evacuation warning to Palestinians residing in an area of Gaza City, ahead of strikes on Hamas targets.

“In light of the Hamas terror organisation using civilian areas for terror activities, the IDF will attack the area with great force. For your safety, evacuate the area immediately,” said the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee in a post on X.

Palestinian civilians are instructed to head south and “avoid returning to dangerous areas.”