Israeli special forces captured a Hamas leader in a raid in Gaza City yesterday while Israeli air strikes meant to protect those troops killed four Palestinians, authorities said.
Israel’s military said in a statement that special forces from the Shin Bet intelligence agency captured Hamas’ internal security service chief in a joint operation with the military in a Hamas-controlled area of Gaza City.
Hours after the raid, the Hamas-run Gaza interior ministry said that a Hamas officer, Moin Al-Arabeed, was injured and captured by Israel while his wife was killed and some of his children were injured. While Hamas did not identify his role, Al Arabeed is known to be a powerful member of the group’s security service.
In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Shin Bet and the military for what he described as a daring operation. He said the Hamas leader was responsible for concealing and transporting Israeli hostages captured in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel.
Like the military statement, Netanyahu did not name the Hamas leader. The military said the Hamas fighter had been taken into Israel for questioning by Israel’s security forces.
During the operation, the Israeli air force carried out strikes “to remove threats” on the ground, the military said, adding that no soldiers were injured.
Witnesses said Israeli warplanes fired at least 12 missiles near the Katiba area in the west of Gaza City, an area crowded with displaced families.
At least four people – including two children and a woman – were killed and several others wounded in the bombardment, medics said.
Two vehicles were hit and reduced to twisted wreckage. Another child was killed in Israeli fire in central Gaza, medics said.
In a separate incident, medics said a girl was killed and two other people were wounded when Israeli forces operating east of Deir Al Balah in central Gaza opened fire on the area.
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