Israeli airstrike kills Hamas internal security chief in central Gaza

An Israeli airstrike on Sunday in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, killed Wael Musa Khaled Ladawi, the head of Hamas's internal security apparatus, according to the IDF and Shin Bet. This apparatus, under Ladawi's command, "collected intelligence for senior Hamas officials, supporting their decision-making and facilitating the planning and execution of terrorist attacks against the State of Israel." The IDF also reported that weekend airstrikes killed two other terrorist commanders in Gaza: Amro Abu Alrish, an Islamic Jihad Nukhba operative involved in combat and hostage transfer, and Abd Al-Nasser Al-Aziz Maqadmeh, a Hamas police commander and deputy platoon commander. These operations occurred as IDF troops continue to operate in Gaza, clearing terrorist infrastructure and dismantling Hamas's tunnel network, in accordance with the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement that followed the October 7, 2023, invasion of Israel.