Palestinian sources reported Monday morning that among the terrorists eliminated during fighting in the tunnels under Rafah on Sunday was Abdallah Hamad — son of senior Hamas political bureau member Ghazi Hamad — a figure who reportedly served on the terror group’s negotiating team. Sources added that in addition to the commander of the East Rafah battalion, Abu Ahmed al‑Bawab, the operatives killed also included Ismail Abu Labda (also known as “Abu Hudayfa”) — described by Palestinians as a coordinator of “hostage‑release ceremonies” and liaison with the Red Cross.
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Hamas terrorist Ismail Abu Labda, Battalion Commander Abu Ahmed al‑Bawa and Abdullah Hamad, son of senior Hamas political bureau member
In recent days, the Israel Defense Forces has been issuing frequent updates on terrorists killed in tunnels under Rafah or while exiting them, in the part of the Gaza Strip now controlled by Israel east of the Yellow Line. According to the latest update, shared Sunday, the campaign against the so‑called “Rafah pocket” has already eliminated more than 40 terrorists and destroyed dozens of shafts, tunnels and other terror infrastructure.
According to Palestinian reports, Abdallah Hamad was part of a group of Hamas terrorists who became trapped in the tunnels, and contact with them was lost after the ceasefire took effect in October. Hamad’s brother confirmed his death, posting an obituary online that said his brother “met his fate and did not flee.”
New clues in hunt for Hamas terrorists
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
After weeks of entrenchment and repeated limited engagements, including occasional IDF incursions under the underground tunnels, the terrorists reportedly began seeking new hiding places — with some attempting escape, while others reportedly prepared suicide attacks. The IDF has maintained strict surveillance over the entire tunnel network, employing multiple detection and targeting methods; some of the trapped terrorists have been killed from the air, others captured for interrogation.
A senior Hamas figure, Hussam Badran, responded to the killings by claiming that Israel had previously offered the trapped terrorists a safe exit: to raise a white flag, leave the tunnels unarmed, and cross into Egypt — an offer he says was “rejected outright.” Badran accused Israel of violating the ceasefire through “a continuous series of killings aimed at thwarting the agreement.”
Meanwhile, the influential Arab‑world director Ezzeldeen Dwedar rejected claims that Hamas’ leadership had abandoned the trapped terrorists. He argued that the death of Abdallah Hamad proves the leadership remains “in the tunnels,” and instead blamed the mediators for “abandoning the Rafah fighters” by delaying action until they died, whether from starvation or IDF operations.
According to the IDF, on Sunday night, four terrorists were spotted exiting a tunnel route; Gaza Division troops, backed by the Israeli Air Force, neutralized them. The military assessed that those killed included the Rafah Brigade commander, his deputy and a company commander. Palestinians, by contrast, continue to describe the operation in Rafah as a “prolonged siege” on Hamas fighters reportedly trapped without food or supplies.