IDF Claims Elimination of Hamas Operations Commander in Gaza Airstrike

Jerusalem, May 2026 : The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday claimed that it had eliminated a senior Hamas operations commander who was allegedly involved in planning attacks against Israeli troops and civilians during the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement posted on social media platform X, the IDF identified the slain operative as Bahaa Baroud, describing him as a commander in the operations headquarters of the Hamas.

According to the Israeli military, Baroud had been actively involved throughout the war in coordinating and advancing multiple terror plots targeting Israeli Defence Forces personnel operating in Gaza as well as Israeli citizens.

The IDF stated that Baroud posed an “immediate threat” to its forces and was killed in what it described as a “precise aerial strike” carried out in the southern Gaza region.

The military further claimed that several precautionary measures were taken before the strike to minimise civilian casualties. These reportedly included the use of precision-guided weaponry, aerial surveillance, and intelligence-based targeting.

The latest operation comes amid intensified Israeli military actions against Hamas and other armed groups operating in Gaza. Over the past several months, the IDF has continued targeting what it says are militant command centres, weapons production facilities, and underground tunnel networks used by Hamas and allied organisations.

Last week, the IDF announced that it had destroyed a weapons production facility and storage site belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in northern Gaza. Israeli officials claimed the site was being used to manufacture explosive devices and store weapons intended for attacks against Israeli civilians and military personnel.

The Israeli military said forces under its Southern Command have remained deployed across key operational zones in Gaza as part of ongoing anti-terror operations.

In another update issued last month, the IDF stated that it had destroyed nearly 14 kilometres of underground tunnels in northern Gaza during targeted military operations. According to the military, the tunnels contained sleeping quarters, weapons stockpiles, and operational infrastructure allegedly used by Hamas fighters.

The IDF said troops from Division 252, along with personnel from the elite Yahalam combat engineering unit, have been carrying out extensive tunnel-clearing missions in the Beit Hanoun area and other sectors of northern Gaza.

Israeli officials maintain that dismantling Hamas’ underground infrastructure remains one of the key objectives of the ongoing military campaign.

The conflict in Gaza has continued to escalate since the outbreak of hostilities earlier this year, with both sides reporting casualties and damage amid repeated airstrikes, ground operations, and rocket attacks.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)