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Israel targeted senior members of Hamas in its surprise attack on Gaza, ending the fragile months-long cease-fire. The Air Force conducted strikes across the Strip late on Monday in what Defense Minister Israel Katz warned was the "gates of hell" opening on Hamas after the terror group refused to release hostages.
According to Palestinian reports, at least five senior members of Hamas were killed including Mahmoud Abu Watfa Dir. General of the Hamas Interior Ministry who was in charge of the Hamas police force. He redeployed police forces charged with civilian obedience and order and was seen in a video last January vowing to rebuild the Strip and Hamas's rule.
Among the leaders who were killed were also two members of the Hamas political bureau, Issam Aldialis and Mohammad Al-Jmasi, the commander of internal security and the director-general of the Hamas Justice Ministry. All of those senior officials, targeted by Israel played central roles in the rebuilding of Hamas rule over the Strip after the fighting stopped and the cease-fire came into effect. Hamas claimed at least 200 people were killed in the airstrikes, among them many children.
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The aerial campaign was launched as a surprise attack after the military collected and identified hundreds of targets in the two months of truce and after over 20,000 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists had returned to positions across the Strip. The decision to end the cease-fire and launch the attacks came after security forces observed an increase in Hamas efforts to attack troops in Gaza and target communities across the border. Hamas was rebuilding its military strength and rearming, officials said.