Israel Holds Senior Hamas Commander Responsible for 2011 Deadly Attack After Internal Hamas Conflict

Israel has been holding Basel Salahiyeh, a senior military commander of Hamas, for about two years. Salahiyeh is directly responsible for a deadly 2011 attack in which 16-year-old Daniel Wiflich was killed by an anti-tank Kornet missile fired at a school bus near Sha'ar HaNegev. The revelation was made by journalist Avishai Greenstein on i24NEWS.

Salahiyeh's capture followed a complex internal dispute within Hamas leadership in Gaza. About five years ago, he accused senior Hamas figure Marwan Issa of betrayal, leading to a rift with other military leaders including Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif. Sinwar ordered Salahiyeh's arrest and imprisonment in Gaza. When the Israeli Air Force bombed the prison where he was held at the start of the recent Gaza war, Hamas moved him to house arrest in Khan Yunis.

During Israeli ground operations, IDF forces raided the location where Salahiyeh was confined, arrested him, and transferred him to detention inside Israel. He is expected to face trial for his terrorist activities. This arrest is part of a broader Israeli campaign targeting Hamas's Nukhba commando unit, responsible for the October 7 attacks, with several senior commanders killed recently.

Salahiyeh's case highlights the internal Hamas power struggles that ultimately facilitated his capture by Israeli forces. Both Sinwar and Deif, once his rivals, have since been killed by the IDF. Israeli military officials continue operations to neutralize immediate threats to soldiers and civilians from Hamas terror activities.