Terror mastermind

Hamas commander Salama killed in airstrike

(Bild: AFP/Bashar Taleb)

The Israeli military believes that the commander of the Hamas brigade in the city of Khan Yunis, Rafa Salama - who was considered one of the masterminds of the October 7 massacre in Israel - was killed in an airstrike in the Gaza Strip.

"Using intelligence, the Israeli Air Force attacked and eliminated the commander of the Khan Yunis Brigade (of Hamas), Rafa Salama, near Khan Yunis," the army announced. It describes the man killed as one of the closest associates of Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif.

Was responsible for rocket attacks
Since 2016, Salama had commanded the Khan Yunis Brigade (named after the town of the same name in the Gaza Strip). In this capacity, he was responsible for the rocket attacks that Hamas has carried out on Israel from Khan Yunis over the years, it is said. According to the army, his elimination would seriously impair Hamas' military capabilities.

The Israeli military did not say whether the powerful military chief of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Mohammed Deif, was also killed. He is said to have been at Salama's side when the air force bombed a Hamas complex near Khan Yunis on Saturday.

Hamas denies death of military chief Deif
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had recently stated that there was still no absolute certainty about the fate of Deif. He was not killed in the attack on Khan Yunis on Saturday, Hamas deputy chief Khalil al-Hayya told the television station Al Jazeera on Saturday.