From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
IDF says it killed Gaza Hamas commander tied to precision missile project
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The IDF says it killed a Hamas commander in the Gaza Strip yesterday who worked to advance the terror group’s “precision missile project.”
The strike killed Yahya Abu Labda, a commander in Hamas’s supply and logistics department.
The military says Abu Labda was responsible for the “procurement and transport of military equipment and weapons” for Hamas’s military wing.
“Abu Labda led and advanced the transfer of dozens of tons of raw materials for rocket production and advanced electronic components to support Hamas’s manufacturing enterprise,” the IDF says.
Amid the ongoing war in Iran, the IDF has said it has killed dozens of Hamas operatives in the Strip, mostly accusing them of violating the ceasefire. In the case of Abu Labda, the IDF does not mention the ceasefire.
חיל-האוויר תקף וחיסל את המחבל יחיא אבו-לבדה, מפקד במחלקת האספקה של ארגון הטרור חמאס, אתמול (ג׳).
במסגרת תפקידו אבו-לבדה היה אמון על רכישה ושינוע של ציוד צבאי ואמצעי לחימה עבור הזרוע הצבאית של ארגון הטרור חמאס. אבו-לבדה הוביל וקידם עשרות טונות של חומרי גלם לייצור רקטות ורכיבים… pic.twitter.com/4FGQN2LQ2o
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) March 18, 2026
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