From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
IDF says latest strikes targeted Hamas operatives, seemingly rejecting US request to only hit imminent threats
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The Israeli military says its strikes in the Gaza Strip a short while ago targeted a Hamas terrorist who invaded Israel during the October 7, 2023, onslaught and another commander in the terror group.
The first strike, in central Gaza’s Nuseirat, targeted a Hamas company commander who invaded Israel on October 7, according to the military.
Palestinian media reported that one person riding a motorcycle was killed in that strike.
Less than half an hour later, the military struck a police station in Gaza City, killing nine people according to Palestinian media.
The IDF says the target of that strike was a Hamas commander and several more operatives alongside him.
The military justifies the strikes amid the ceasefire by claiming that the terror operatives had planned to carry out attacks on Israeli troops operating in the Strip.
The US has asked Israel to only respond to imminent threats as it seeks to advance its Hamas disarmament plan, but Jerusalem has largely bucked those calls.
The Times of Israel Community.