IDF: Gaza strikes killed two terrorists linked to Hamas funding network
The military says the men helped channel millions of shekels from Iran and Turkey to Hamas’s military wing
Two terrorists involved in transferring millions of shekels to Hamas’s military wing were killed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza last week, the IDF said.
The military identified the men as Alaa Ibrahim Nimer Arshi, a Hamas cell commander killed in Gaza City on Wednesday, and Karam Riyad Hassan Abu Butaihan, an Islamic Jihad terrorist killed near Nuseirat on Tuesday.
Both helped move funds from Iran and Turkey to Hamas throughout the war. The military said the money had recently been used to rebuild Hamas’s armed capabilities and prepare attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians.
The IDF described those activities as systematic violations of the ceasefire and said the strikes were intended to remove the threat posed by the two men.
Separately, an Israeli airstrike destroyed a Hamas weapons depot in central Gaza on Thursday in a joint operation with the Shin Bet, the military said. The facility was used to store Kalashnikov rifles, a launcher and rockets.
The IDF said it used precision munitions and aerial surveillance to reduce the risk to civilians, and issued advance warnings before striking the weapons depot. Its statement did not provide information on civilian casualties.
Israeli forces remain deployed in Gaza under the ceasefire agreement, the military said, adding that operations would continue against threats and attempts by armed groups to rebuild their military capabilities.