IDF and Shin Bet Kill Hamas Military Security Chief in Rafah in Joint Strike

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet announced on Monday that they carried out a joint operation last week in which they killed Ismail Masri, the military security chief of Hamas's Rafah Brigade in the Gaza Strip. Masri was a senior figure responsible for advancing activities aimed at restricting IDF operations in Gaza. According to the IDF spokesperson, Masri oversaw security and counterintelligence efforts within the Rafah Brigade, focusing on rebuilding and strengthening Hamas's military capabilities after recent heavy losses.

This targeted killing is part of an ongoing campaign by the IDF and Shin Bet to dismantle Hamas's command and control infrastructure in Gaza. In recent days, the forces also eliminated Walid al-Haniya, deputy commander of the Nukhba unit and nephew of Ismail Haniya, who led the October 7 attacks and was involved in directing militants during the abduction of Israeli civilians. Additionally, Hamas naval police commander Manzur Sami Mahmoud Shehata and two other commanders were killed this week; Shehata was actively involved in planning terror attacks against IDF forces.

The Rafah Brigade has been significantly weakened since September, when the IDF’s 162nd Division declared it had defeated the unit. In the three months prior, the division killed over 2,000 militants and destroyed approximately 13 kilometers of tunnels, including 80% of underground routes near the Philadelphi corridor. However, senior security officials recently warned Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir that Hamas’s military wing is rearming, producing hundreds of explosives and anti-tank weapons monthly, recruiting young militants, and smuggling drones and communication devices from Sinai into Gaza.

The IDF stated that its Southern Command forces remain deployed according to agreements and will continue operations to neutralize threats. The strike against Masri represents another step in the ongoing effort to disrupt Hamas’s operational capabilities and prevent attacks on Israeli soldiers.