Hamas's police chief, Mahmoud Salah, and his aide, Hassam Shahwan, were killed in a strike in the al-Mawasi area in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported on Thursday, citing Palestinian reports.
The IDF confirmed later on Thursday that the Israel Air Force had eliminated Shahwan, whom it said was the chief of Hamas's internal security apparatus in southern Gaza.
Hamas's internal security apparatus "conducted violent interrogations against residents of the Gaza Strip, severely violating human rights and suppressing opposition to the organization," the IDF noted.
The military added that Shahwan, who had been hiding within the civilian population in the al-Mawasi area, was responsible for forming an intelligence base against IDF forces operating in Gaza.
Prior to the strike, the IDF said it used tools such as aerial surveillance, additional intelligence information, and precise munitions to mitigate civilian harm.
In total, 10 people were killed, and 15 were wounded in the strike, Reuters reported, citing Gazan medics.
Later on Thursday, the IDF said it had carried out an additional strike in Khan Yunis, targeting a Hamas command and control center in which terrorists were embedded.
The terrorists had used the center to carry out attacks against IDF troops positioned in the area and against the State of Israel.
The military further added that in this strike too it had taken steps to avoid harming civilians.
Six people in total were reportedly killed in this airstrike, which occurred at the Hamas-run interior ministry headquarters, according to Reuters, citing Gazan medics.
Additional strikes on Hamas security apparatus members
In early December, Osama Ghanim, a senior official in the internal security apparatus of Hamas, was killed in a strike conducted by the Israel Air Force, also in Khan Yunis.
According to the IDF, Ghanim played a central role in Hamas's incrimination system, which included "violent interrogations of Gazan residents, severe violations of human rights, suppression of Hamas opponents, and persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals in the region."