Fighting in Rafah:

Israel also kills bodyguard of Hamas terror chief

(Bild: AFP)

The Israeli military has reportedly killed the bodyguard of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Mahmoud Hamdan was eliminated in a clash with Israeli troops in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, the military announced.

Hamdan died on Friday just 200 meters away from the spot where the Israeli military killed Sinwar on Wednesday.

Hamdan was the commander of the Hamas battalion in the Rafah district of Tal al-Sultan. He had served as Sinwar's bodyguard in a house in Tal al-Sultan until shortly before his death.

Screenshot from the drone video showing the already injured Hamas leader in a devastated apartment in southern Gaza on Wednesday. At the time, however, the Israelis did not know who they were dealing with.(Bild: AP)

Hamdan had also been responsible for guarding the six Israeli hostages who were murdered by his men in August. The Israeli military had found their bodies in a tunnel under Rafah. They also found traces of Sinwar's DNA. The Islamist Hamas has not yet confirmed the death of Hamdan.