The IDF said on Monday that during its anti-terror operation in the Al Shifa hospital in Gaza its forces killed Faiq Mabhouh, a senior commander in the Hamas terror group's internal security.
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According to the military, Mabhouh refused to surrender to troops and engaged in a gun battle until he was killed. Palestinian sources said he had been tasked by Hamas to guard food trucks bringing supplies to the northern parts of the Strip.
The IDF moved into Al Shifa in the early morning hours on Monday, after surrounding the facility to prevent terrorists from escaping. troops came under fire from inside the hospital.
According to the IDF, Hamas is once again attempting to use Al Shifa as a main terror headquarters in the northern Strip. The IDF had previously warned healthcare officials in the Strip, including those at Al Shifa, of Hamas' return to using hospitals for terror purposes.
According to officials, his mission was to intimidate local clans so that they refuse to cooperate with Israel on food distribution and may have been behind the execution of the head of the Doghmush clan last week after reports that Israel reached out to the clan that holds influence and is well-armed to oversee the distribution of aid and to prevent violence.