IDF Strikes Hamas and PIJ Terrorists in Gaza, Leading to Journalists' Casualties

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) conducted a series of airstrikes and artillery attacks against Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists in Gaza on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. According to the IDF, the strikes targeted Hamas terrorists in Gaza City who were planning an explosive drone attack on IDF troops. The military emphasized that precautions were taken to minimize harm to civilians before the strikes were carried out.

Later, the IDF reported that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducted a precision strike against a PIJ terrorist cell in the Nuesirat area of Gaza, resulting in additional casualties. However, reports from Gaza health authorities indicated that five journalists, who worked for the Al-Quds Al-Youm television channel, were killed in the strikes. These journalists were named as Faisal Abu al-Qumsan, Ayman al-Jadi, Ibrahim al-Sheikh Ali, and Muhammad al-Lad’ah. They were traveling in a media van, which was allegedly marked as such.

Gaza's health ministry and civil services, both run by Hamas, confirmed the deaths, with at least ten individuals reported killed across the two incidents. While the IDF has yet to comment on the specific circumstances surrounding the deaths of the journalists, the attacks have raised concerns about civilian casualties amid ongoing military operations.

Additional Strikes on Hamas Terrorists

The IDF also eliminated several senior Hamas operatives, including Muhammad Jamil Salman Basous and Muhammad Kamal Muhammad Al-Haj. Basous, a senior commander in Hamas’s Gaza City Brigade, was responsible for supplying explosives to terrorist operatives. Al-Haj, who was involved in sniper attacks against IDF troops, also perished in the strikes.

In a related operation, the IDF uncovered and destroyed two massive Hamas tunnels, each approximately two kilometers in length. These tunnels were used for terrorist activities, including the planting of explosives. The IDF neutralized a terrorist cell attempting to plant an explosive device during this operation.

The IDF emphasized that every effort was made to minimize civilian casualties, including the use of precision weapons and intelligence gathering prior to the strikes. The military remains resolute in its commitment to combat terrorist organizations operating in Gaza.