IDF says it killed Hamas internal security commander in central Gaza

The Israeli military said it had killed a senior Hamas internal security official in an airstrike in central Gaza, describing him as a key figure in the group's intelligence operations.

In a joint statement on Monday (July 27), the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet security agency said Wael Musa Khaled al-Dadawi was killed in a strike carried out on Sunday (July 26) in the Deir al-Balah area.

According to the statement, al-Dadawi headed Hamas's Internal Security apparatus in the central Gaza camps. Israel described the unit as a clandestine branch of Hamas responsible for collecting intelligence for the group's senior leadership, supporting decision-making and aiding the planning and execution of attacks against Israel.

The Israeli military said its Southern Command forces remain deployed in the area in accordance with existing agreements and would continue operations to address what it described as security threats.

By Aghakazim Guliyev