Armed forces eliminated two terrorists who participated in the October 7 Hamas massacre during operations in the Gaza Strip last week, along with additional Hamas terrorists operating in a former school during a Thursday strike, the IDF announced on Thursday afternoon.
The first terrorist killed who participated in the October 7 attacks was Suleiman Juad Suleiman Abu Lafi after an Israel Air Force (IAF) aircraft struck him during operations in Gaza last week, the IDF said.
Abu Lafi's role in the October 7 attacks was to facilitate the transfer of weapons to and from the Gaza Strip, bringing them into Israel. Additionally, Abu Lafi had also directed terror attacks in the West Bank area, the military noted.
The second terrorist killed by the IDF last week in another IAF strike was the team commander of Hamas's "Nukhba" Company, who also took part in the October 7 attacks.
The military says they will continue to operate in the Rafah area after eliminating 15 terrorists over the last week.
Hamas terrorists located in a former school
Additionally, during the IDF's Thursday strike in the northern Gaza Strip, armed forces eliminated terrorists who were operating inside a command and control center that had previously served as the 'al-Faluja' School.
According to reports, the former school that became the command and control center was used by Hamas terrorists to plan and execute terrorist attacks against IDF troops and Isarel.
Regarding the location of the Hmas command center, Israel's military stated, "This is a further example of the Hamas terrorist organization’s systematic abuse of civilian infrastructure in violation of international law."
"The IDF will continue to operate against Hamas in defense of the citizens of Israel," it added.
The Palestinian Health Ministry, regarding the strike, stated that "The Israeli occupation committed a new massacre by targeting the displaced in the (Al-Faluja) school in the northern Gaza Strip this evening, where 11 martyrs and more than 22 injuries have arrived at hospitals so far, including women and children."