Israel Prepares for Hamas Retaliation After Targeted Killings

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are preparing for a potential retaliatory attack by Hamas following a series of targeted assassinations in the Gaza Strip. Senior officials in the Southern Command indicated that the IDF is bolstering defensive measures to thwart any attempted attacks.

The recent wave of killings has significantly impacted Hamas's command structure, reportedly eliminating two brigade commanders, a battalion commander, and several company commanders. According to Israeli officials, Hamas views the disruption of its leadership as crossing a red line and may seek to respond with an attack against Israel.

The most recent assassination was that of Na'el Abu Abed, Hamas's Rafah Brigade commander, announced by the IDF on Tuesday. Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, citing three Hamas sources, reported that Abu Abed was a senior figure in the military wing and was close to the previous Rafah commander, Mohammed Shabanah, who was killed in May 2025 along with Mohammed Sinwar.

These sources also claimed Abu Abed was involved in the 2006 abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and his subsequent hiding. During the recent conflict, he was allegedly involved in securing some Israeli hostages and overseeing their handover during exchange deals. In 2014, Abu Abed reportedly commanded an attempted tunnel infiltration near Rafah aimed at abducting IDF soldiers.

The IDF stated after Abu Abed's killing that he was responsible for directing the Rafah Brigade's operations, guiding terrorists in carrying out attacks against Israeli forces and civilians, and working to restore the brigade's capabilities that were damaged during the war.