The IDF admitted on Saturday that Hamas's Shati Battalion commander, Hitham Khawajari, was not eliminated over a year after the military had announced his death in late 2023.
"Haitham Khuwajri was targeted on December 3, 2023. Following the strike, the Shin Bet and the IDF assessed with high probability that he had been eliminated, leading to an official statement from the IDF Spokesperson," the IDF stated. "However, a further review revealed that the intelligence assessment relied upon by the Shin Bet, Military Intelligence Directorate, and the Southern Command was incorrect and that the terrorist was not eliminated in that strike."