Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has confirmed the apprehension of a high-ranking Hamas official following a tumultuous raid in Gaza City. The covert operation, reportedly involving Israeli special forces and an allied Palestinian militia, was accompanied by fierce airstrikes that local medical personnel say claimed the lives of a woman and two children.
According to medical reports, a third child also perished in an unrelated incident in central Gaza.
While Katz declined to name the detained commander or specify the exact forces responsible for the capture, he framed the operation as a continuation of Israel's aggressive military strategy. Speaking after a visit to the border community of Netiv HaAsara, Katz emphasized the military's proactive stance.
"A short time ago, a senior Hamas terrorist was arrested – and this is our policy: we do not wait for threats, but pursue Hamas terrorists, thwart them and destroy their terror infrastructures," Katz stated.
The operation unfolded in a densely populated sector of western Gaza City. Palestinian sources indicated that the primary target was a top official within Hamas's internal security apparatus.
Witnesses described a scene of sudden devastation as heavy Israeli bombardments reduced at least two vehicles to twisted metal. Footage from the area captured the ensuing panic, punctuated by the relentless echo of gunfire and explosions.
Accounts of the ground operation vary. Reports suggest that a joint force of Israeli commandos and pro-Israeli Palestinian fighters infiltrated the neighborhood before being compromised. Some Israeli media outlets, however, indicated that the ground maneuvers were conducted solely by local armed militias.
Ismail al-Thawabta, a spokesman for the Hamas-run government media office, claimed that an undercover Israeli unit was exposed mid-mission. He alleged that the subsequent cover strikes caused multiple civilian casualties and resulted in the deaths of several Israeli special forces operatives.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) aggressively pushed back against these casualty claims. While the military confirmed it launched strikes against several targets in Gaza to eliminate immediate threats to its personnel, it definitively stated that no Israeli troops were injured during the operation.
The ongoing conflict was ignited on October 7, 2023, when a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of 251 hostages. In the ensuing months of war, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry—whose figures are widely trusted by the United Nations—reports that more than 73,460 Palestinians have been killed.