Adin’s death marks the latest in a series of high-level Hamas losses since the launch of Operation Gideon's Chariots. According to the IDF, three top-ranking brigade-level commanders who led Hamas after the killing of its leader Yahya Sinwar have been eliminated.
Israeli strikes in Beit Hanoun, Gaza
(Video: IDF)
Among them were Mohammed Sinwar, Sinwar's brother who served as the de facto head of Hamas; Rafah Brigade commander Mohammed Shabana; and Hakam al-Issa, described by the IDF as a founding member of Hamas and the head of combat support operations in its military wing.
Since the start of the operation, the IDF reports that approximately 1,300 Hamas terrorists have been killed, including seven battalion commanders and 39 company commanders.
On Saturday evening, the IDF conducted extensive airstrikes in the town of Beit Hanoun, located near the northern border of the Gaza Strip. According to military officials, more than 35 Hamas targets were struck, including underground tunnel infrastructure. Video footage released by the IDF showed plumes of smoke rising in succession across the largely flattened town.
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Earlier this week, the IDF announced an expansion of operations in Beit Hanoun following an ambush that killed five Israeli soldiers. The troops were hit by an explosion in a booby-trapped area, followed by gunfire from Hamas operatives, in what the military described as a coordinated attack.
"The Givati Brigade combat team, under the command of the 162nd Division, has joined the 99th Division forces and began operations to encircle Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza," the IDF said in a statement. "The forces are working to destroy terror infrastructure, eliminate terrorists and degrade Hamas’ military capabilities in the area."
Beit Hanoun has been the site of repeated ground operations by Israeli forces since the beginning of the ground campaign in late 2023. Military officials note that operations have resumed multiple times due to the absence of a government decision on the future governance of Gaza.
According to the IDF, dozens of Hamas terrorists are currently operating in and around Beit Hanoun, launching guerrilla attacks from both above and below ground. The 99th Division began an intensified effort in recent days to destroy tunnel systems and eliminate terrorists, with most of the activity taking place underground.