Gaza City (HRNW)- Despite the U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire agreement and the establishment of a peace mechanism, Israeli airstrikes have continued in the southern Gaza Strip.
According to international news agencies, the Israeli military carried out fresh airstrikes in southern Gaza, describing the operation as a significant success.
An Israeli military spokesperson claimed that the strikes targeted Hamas commander Hussam Shafai, alleging that he was involved in the October 7, 2023, attack on Israeli territory.
According to the Israeli military, Hussam Shafai was associated with Hamas’s East Khan Younis Battalion and allegedly played a central role in the attack on the Israeli community of Kibbutz Nirim.
The Israeli military stated that the October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of Colonel Asif Hammami, Staff Sergeant Tomer Ahimas, and Sergeant Kirill Brodsky. It further claimed that Shafai participated in transporting the bodies of the three soldiers to Gaza and continued to pose a security threat by planning further attacks.
According to Israeli officials, the body of Colonel Asif Hammami was returned to Israel in November 2025 as part of a hostage exchange agreement with Hamas, while the bodies of Staff Sergeant Tomer Ahimas and Sergeant Kirill Brodsky were recovered during Israeli military operations in Gaza in 2024.
There was no immediate response from Hamas regarding the Israeli claim, and the reported killing of Hussam Shafai has not been independently verified.
Israeli forces have continued conducting intelligence-based operations targeting Hamas members since the ceasefire, with Israel claiming that several senior Hamas figures have been killed in recent operations.
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