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Monday, April 13, 2026
IDF says Hamas operative behind Gaza war’s deadliest attack on troops killed in strike
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A Hamas operative who participated in the deadliest attack on Israeli troops during the IDF’s ground offensive in the Gaza Strip was killed in a strike last week, the military announces.
The strike last Monday had targeted several armed Hamas members who the military says approached the Yellow Line and planned an “imminent” attack on troops stationed in central Gaza.
“The terrorists posed a real threat to IDF troops and were therefore targeted in precise strikes,” the military says.
The IDF says it can now confirm that among those killed was Yousef Ibrahim Mahmoud Beshiti, a Hamas operative part of a cell that launched an attack on troops on January 22, 2024, in an incident that left 21 soldiers dead.
The Hamas operatives fired RPGs at the troops, hitting a tank and setting off mines that were rigged to demolish two buildings. It was the deadliest incident during the IDF’s ground offensive in Gaza.
In addition, the IDF says the strike killed at least six other Hamas operatives, including a member of the terror group’s elite Nukhba Force, a cell commander, and a Hamas police officer.
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