Troops kill senior Hamas commander in ongoing operation at Shifa Hospital

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says senior Hamas commander Raad Thabet was eliminated by troops of the Navy’s Shayetet 13 commando unit at Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital earlier today.

Thabet was head of human resources and supply for the terror group and is considered among the top 10 most senior Hamas military commanders, according to Hagari.

He says Thabet was killed by the Navy commandos and other troops while attempting to flee with two other operatives into the hospital area, in what appeared to be part of an attack against the forces.

In another area of Shifa Hospital, at the maternity ward, Hagari says troops of the Nahal Brigade’s recon unit encountered and killed three gunmen in a firefight.

He says the identities of the gunmen will be released to the public once the military verifies them.

Troops have detained more than 900 terror suspects at Shifa Hospital amid the ongoing raid. Hagari says that so far, 513 of them are confirmed to be members of terror groups, and the military believes that many of the others are terror operatives as well.

Another 350 people were identified as patients and medical staff, he says.