Sunday night's strike in Rafah, which eliminated two senior Hamas operatives, quickly made global headlines against the backdrop of the International Court of Justice’s decision requiring Israel to halt any actions in Gaza’s southernmost city that might affect the civilian population under the Genocide Convention.
The IDF later announced that it eliminated Yassin Rabia, a senior Hamas commander leading the terrorist group’s operations in the West Bank, and Khaled Nagar, a senior official in Hamas’ West Bank command.
According to the military, Rabia managed the entirety of Hamas' terrorist activity across the West Bank, transferred funds to terror targets and planned Hamas terror attacks throughout the territory. In the past, Rabia carried out numerous murderous terror attacks, including in 2001 and 2002, in which IDF soldiers were killed.
Nagar had reportedly directed shooting attacks and other terrorist activities across the West Bank and transferred funds intended for Hamas’ terrorist activities in the Gaza Strip.
Both Rabia and Nagar served several life sentences in Israeli prison but were freed in 2011 as part of a prisoner swap deal for the release of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
Among the deadly attacks Nagar carried out was an attack in which Esther Galia was murdered in November 2002, an attack in Ein Yabrud in which three IDF soldiers were killed in September 2003, and a shooting attack in which Tzvi Goldstein was murdered and his family members were injured in June 2003.
Nagar also helped direct the 2003 shooting attack that killed Shalom (Shuli) Har-Melech, the late husband of Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Melech.
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Shalom (Shuli) Har-Melech and Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Melech with their son Ahuvya
(Photo: Courtesy of the family)
"The feelings are mixed. On one hand, there is great relief that he has been eliminated and can no longer command the murder of Jews,” MK Har-Melech said in a social media post.
“On the other hand, there's the painful lesson that once something is done, it cannot be undone. His release in the Shalit deal allowed him to return and murder more Jews. The consequences were unequivocal and clear, and our fighters had to chase those terrorists again, 20 years later. Today is another step in closing my circle and the circle of the people of Israel with its enemies."
Palestinians reported that the strike occurred in the Tel al-Sultan displaced persons camp, causing refugee tents to catch fire. Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry claimed at least 35 people were killed and dozens were injured, a report cited by major media outlets worldwide.
The army said that the strike was “carried out against legitimate targets under international law, using precise munitions and on the basis of precise intelligence that indicated Hamas' use of the area.”
It added that it was “aware of reports indicating that as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited several civilians in the area were harmed” and that the incident was “under review.”