IDF Airstrike Kills Senior Hamas Commander Rebuilding Terror Infrastructure in Southern Gaza

The Israeli Air Force eliminated Adel Jihad Muhammad Atfour, a Hamas military wing commander, in a targeted airstrike in southern Gaza on Tuesday. Atfour led a unit within the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades and was considered a highly skilled operational commander responsible for orchestrating attacks against Israeli forces throughout the conflict. According to Israeli military intelligence, Atfour systematically planned and executed complex sniper operations and the placement of improvised explosive devices targeting IDF soldiers conducting raids and maneuvers in the Gaza Strip.

In recent weeks, as Hamas units suffered attrition, Atfour took a central role in restoring the terrorist group's military capabilities in southern Gaza by recruiting operatives and reorganizing terror cells. Due to his active involvement in planning imminent attacks against Israeli forces, the Southern Command decided to neutralize him immediately. He was located inside a building in southern Gaza and was precisely targeted and killed by an Israeli Air Force drone strike during a joint operation with the Shin Bet security service.

The IDF described Atfour as a "ticking bomb" who led attack plans against troops operating in the area. This operation reflects ongoing Israeli efforts to disrupt Hamas’s military infrastructure and prevent further attacks on Israeli soldiers in the Gaza border region.