IDF says it killed dozens of Hamas operatives, including officer in charge of arms smuggling

The Israel Defense Forces says it killed a Hamas officer in charge of weapons smuggling into the Gaza Strip in an airstrike last night.

The army says Muhammad Mahasna mainly coordinated maritime smuggling, but also dealt with getting arms through cross-border tunnels and land crossings.

כלי טיס של חיל האוויר תקף וחיסל אמש בהכוונה של אגף המודיעין, את המחבל מחמד מחאסנה אשר שימש כקצין מבצעים בתחום ההברחות בארגון הטרור חמאס>> pic.twitter.com/VoQatFSZBa

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 6, 2024

“His elimination deals a blow to terror group Hamas’s ability to smuggle [weapons] into Gaza,” the IDF says in a statement.

Additionally, the military says it has killed around 20 terror operatives in face-to-face fighting and airstrikes in central Gaza over the past day, while its forces have killed over 25 operatives in the area of Rafah.

In one incident, an anti-tank missile was fired toward IDF forces — without causing casualties — and a warplane quickly bombed the house from where the missile was fired, killing the shooter.