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The IDF admitted on Saturday that it had mistakenly announced the death of a senior Hamas commander who was seen overseeing the release of hostage Keith Siegel on the shores of Gaza.
Hitham Khawajari, the commander of Hamas’ Shati refugee camp battalion, was previously reported killed in an Israeli airstrike last December.
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IDF airstrike on the Shati refugee camp in December 2024
(Video: IDF)
"Following the strike, it was determined with high probability that he had been eliminated," the IDF said. "However, further investigation revealed that the intelligence assessment from Military Intelligence and the Shin Bet was incorrect."
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The revelation marks the second such case in recent weeks. Last month, images surfaced of Hussein Fayyad, the Hamas commander of the Beit Hanoun battalion, participating in a funeral procession. The IDF had previously claimed he was killed in an airstrike in May.
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IDF previously announced it had killed Hamas battalion commander Hitham Khawajari
(Photo: IDF)
In the footage, Fayyad was seen delivering a speech celebrating Hamas’ supposed victory over Israeli forces, confirming that the images were recent.