Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited northern Gaza today (Tuesday), shortly after IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir conducted a situation assessment and field tour in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood of the Strip. During the visit, Zamir approved the operational plans for continued defensive and offensive military actions.
As part of the tour, the Chief of Staff spoke with reserve soldiers from the 16th Brigade operating in the sector, expressing his deep appreciation for their readiness and unwavering commitment to every mission and call of duty.
IDF Chief of Staff to Soldiers in Gaza: We Will Not Allow Disputes to Penetrate the Ranks of the IDF | Photo: Rega Desk
Fifth Shuja’iyya Battalion Commander Eliminated
Earlier today, the IDF Spokesperson announced that for the fifth time since the start of the war, the IDF and Shin Bet eliminated the commander of Hamas’s Shuja’iyya battalion. The targeted strike took place earlier this week. The commander’s predecessor was killed just one week prior.
The militant Mohammad al-’Ajla had recently replaced former commander Haitham Razak Abd al-Karim Sheikh Khalil, who was eliminated the previous week. Throughout the war, al-’Ajla served as the combat support platoon commander within the Shuja’iyya battalion and was responsible for supplying weapons to militants for attacks against IDF forces and Israeli civilians.
Al-’Ajla is the fifth Hamas battalion commander eliminated since the war began, and the third since the launch of Operation “Oz veHerev” (Strength and Sword). According to the IDF, precautionary measures were taken ahead of the strike to minimize civilian casualties, including early warnings to civilians, precision-guided munitions, and aerial surveillance.
