Israeli army kills Hamas's weapons development chief

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have eliminated Bashar Thabet, the head of the weapons development department within the manufacturing division of the Palestinian radical group Hamas, in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, the IDF press service said.

According to the military, the target "was responsible for research and development within Hamas’s weapons production headquarters."

The IDF added that he was also involved in "restoring and strengthening the arsenal of terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip."

Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, the European Union, and others, has been involved in numerous attacks against Israel, most notably the October 7, 2023, assault that killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages taken to Gaza.

The IDF has eliminated several high-profile Hamas leaders since the onset of the current Gaza conflict in October 2023, significantly impacting the group’s command structure. The targets included Yahya Sinwar (killed October 2024), the political leader of Hamas in Gaza and a key architect of the October 7 attack.

By Khagan Isayev