Overview
- Israeli military and security officials confirmed late Sunday that they eliminated Walid Haniyeh, whom they described as a deputy commander in Hamas’s Nukhba force who helped direct the Oct. 7 infiltrations and kidnappings.
- The statements said the campaign also killed Abd al‑Rahman Ziyada, a Nukhba commander who allegedly looted an IDF vehicle on Oct. 7, plus Kamal Najar, who led a Khan Younis tunnel unit, and several naval police operatives.
- The IDF and Israel Security Agency framed the strikes as precise actions taken against fighters who posed an immediate threat to troops and civilians and said Southern Command forces remain deployed to continue similar operations.
- Reporting relies chiefly on Israeli military and ISA statements and independent, on‑the‑ground verification of the specific identities and roles named in the strikes is limited in the available coverage.
- The moves continue a post‑truce pattern of targeted leadership and technical‑node strikes intended to blunt rearmament and degrade Hamas’s ability to mount future attacks, a strategy that could raise tensions and complicate diplomatic efforts in Gaza.