IDF Eliminates Hamas Finance Chief Who Moved Over $250 Million During War

The head of Hamas's finance department, Mohammed Abu Alwan, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Thursday that Abu Alwan had transferred more than one billion shekels (approximately $270 million) to fund Hamas's operations throughout the ongoing war.

Abu Alwan was targeted in his vehicle in the Khan Younis area. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced his elimination about 90 minutes after the strike, preempting the military's official announcement by nearly a day. "We continue to pursue Hamas commanders and operatives, to strike its funding sources, and to destroy its terror infrastructure," Netanyahu and Katz stated, praising the IDF and Shin Bet for the "precise operation."

According to the IDF, Abu Alwan began his Hamas activities about a decade ago. In his role within the finance department, he was responsible for budgeting all aspects of the terror organization. Recently, he worked to restore the terror group's capabilities, in violation of the ceasefire agreement.

The IDF stated that it and the Shin Bet are continuing efforts to damage Hamas's funding capabilities, prevent the rebuilding of its infrastructure and military capacities, and eliminate terrorists and the network of money changers and assistants managing hundreds of millions of dollars in transfers.