6:38 a.m. November 3, 2023
IDF kills Hamas commander in airstrike and arrests 37 wanted suspects in nighttime raid
The IDF said Friday morning that its troops had killed a Hamas commander in a nighttime airstrike in Gaza.
IDF warplanes hit infrastructure and killed Mustafa Dalul, the commander of the Sabra Tel al-Hawa battalion, as well as other Hamas terrorists, the IDF said.
An IDF spokesman said Dalul “played a central role in leading the fight against IDF forces in the Gaza Strip.” Dalul has also held several positions in the Hamas battalion in recent years.
Israel has carried out a sustained bombardment of Hamas operatives in Gaza and launched a ground invasion to eliminate the terror group.
In addition, the at least 230 people who Hamas is believed to have taken hostage are to be rescued.
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“In addition, IDF fighter jets and artillery led by ground forces killed a number of terrorists who were acting against the ground forces. During searches in the Beit Hanoun area, troops found weapons, intelligence materials, an AK-47 rifle, submachine gun, magazines, grenades, explosive devices, RPG, communications equipment and maps,” the spokesman added.
IDF troops also arrested 37 wanted people in a night raid overnight. Of those, about 17 had ties to Hamas, an IDF spokesman said.
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The IDF also said its soldiers from the 13th Battalion of the Golani Brigade and the 53rd Battalion of the Armored Corps clashed with several terrorist groups in Gaza overnight.
“The terrorists fired anti-tank missiles at the troops, activated several IEDs and attempted to climb onto one of the force’s vehicles,” the IDF said. “Soldiers on the ground directed aircraft and artillery strikes, neutralizing the terrorists and their threats.”