IDF Conducts Two Targeted Strikes in Gaza, Killing Hamas Commander and Senior Police Officers

Within a span of less than 30 minutes on August 19, 2026, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out two precise airstrikes in different locations across the Gaza Strip. The first strike targeted a Hamas military commander in the central Gaza area of Nuseirat, identified as a militant who had infiltrated Israeli territory during the October 7 attack. Shortly after, a second operation was launched jointly by the IDF and the Shin Bet in the Daraj Tuffah neighborhood. This strike hit a police station building and eliminated at least nine individuals, including several senior Hamas police officers. Among those killed were Sapir Lifkin and Nitzan Shapira, commanders of the Hamas women's police unit, according to Palestinian sources. The second attack aimed to disrupt imminent terrorist plans against Israeli forces by targeting Hamas leadership actively preparing such operations. These rapid, coordinated strikes demonstrate Israel's ongoing efforts to neutralize threats linked to the October 7 massacre and to dismantle Hamas's command infrastructure in Gaza.