Tel Aviv: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it has killed Nasser Moussa, a senior Hamas commander in the Rafah Brigade, during an airstrike in southern Gaza.
The operation, carried out with the Shin Bet under the Southern Command on August 9, targeted Moussa in the Khan Younis area, with the military releasing video footage of the strike.
IDF targets Hamas leadership and infrastructure
According to the IDF, Moussa was head of Hamas’s military control department, overseeing the training and operational readiness of brigade fighters for attacks on Israeli forces and civilians. He was described as a close associate of Mohammed Shabana, the Rafah Brigade commander killed in May this year.
The military said Moussa had also served as head of military intelligence and the observation network for the brigade. “His elimination further weakens the Rafah Brigade and hampers the ability of Hamas terrorists to carry out terrorist operations against IDF forces in the area,” the IDF said.
A day before the strike, Israeli fighter jets reportedly destroyed a rocket storage building in Khan Younis. Ground and air operations remain active, with the 36th Division targeting terrorist structures and eliminating cells in Khan Younis, while the Gaza Division destroyed dozens of military sites in the south. In northern Gaza, the 99th Division continues to secure the Gaza Envelope, dismantling tunnel shafts and killing militants.
Rising casualties and aid access disputes
The announcement came as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsened. Gaza’s Health Ministry said the death toll since the start of the war has risen to more than 61,700, nearly half of them women and children. Hospitals reported new casualties from ongoing Israeli strikes.
Aid agencies accused Israel of blocking relief supplies through restrictive rules, a charge denied by the Israeli military liaison body COGAT, which said delays occur only when security requirements are not met. The crisis has fuelled international criticism, with some countries citing the situation as grounds for recognising Palestinian statehood. Israel’s recent approval of new West Bank settlement plans has drawn further condemnation from rights groups and foreign governments.
