The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Thursday it killed the head of Palestinian militant group Hamas’ anti-tank missile unit in an airstrike and uncovered a Hamas drone manufacturing plant and weapons depot in Gaza. ‘Based on Israeli Security Agency (ISA) and IDF intelligence, an IDF fighter jet killed Ibrahim Abu-Maghsib, head of Hamas’ anti-tank missile unit in the Central Camps Brigade. As part of his position, Maghsib directed and carried out numerous anti-tank missile launches directed at Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers,’ the IDF said in a statement. It added: ‘As part of the assistance to ground forces, Israeli Navy forces struck Hamas anti-tank missile launching posts used to attack IDF troops in the Gaza Strip. Hamas did not immediately confirm or deny the death of Maghsib. The IDF also said it located a Hamas drone manufacturing plant and weapons depot inside a residential building in Gaza. ‘IDF soldiers discovered a Hamas weapons manufacturing and storage facility used to produce and store UAVs and weapons. The site was located in a residential building, in close proximity to schools in the center of the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in northern Gaza,’ the IDF added. Earlier, the IDF said it had secured a key stronghold of Hamas after a 10-hour battle in western Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip. During the takeover of the outpost, Israeli fighters waged a battle against Hamas and Islamic Jihad who were in the outpost, both ‘above ground and in an underground route in the area.’ Meanwhile, 65 people were killed and more than 100 were injured in Israeli airstrikes on several buildings in Jabalia refugee camp in the north of the Gaza Strip, official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. Israel had said the Hamas attacks on October 7 killed 1,400 people, most of them civilians, and the militia took more than 240 hostages in one of the deadliest attacks in Israel’s history. Immediately afterwards, Israel commenced air campaigns on Gaza and launched the recent ground offensive which has resulted in the deaths of more than 10,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon