Eyewitnesses in Khan Younis reported on Monday that IDF special forces disguised as women killed Ahmad Sarhan, a senior commander in the Al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees. The terror group later confirmed his death, calling him a “special operations officer.”
According to accounts gathered by Hamas-affiliated Safa News Agency, a white bus arrived on Mars Street in the Al-Mahatta neighborhood early Monday morning, appearing to carry displaced women and their belongings.
Witnesses said nine individuals dressed in women's clothing — some veiled, others with exposed faces — exited the bus and stormed Sarhan’s home, shooting him dead and arresting his wife and children.
Roughly four hours later, the group publicly acknowledged Sarhan's death. The house had previously been damaged by an Israeli airstrike, witnesses said. The operation reportedly lasted about 20 minutes and included intensive aerial support. Witnesses described hearing gunfire from inside the house before the force quickly withdrew under cover of heavy Israeli airstrikes.
Palestinian media reported that over 30 Israeli airstrikes were launched over a 40-minute span to secure the special forces' extraction. Helicopters and tanks provided additional firepower, reportedly killing and wounding dozens.
Safa claimed physical evidence was found at the scene, including rifle butts, shell casings, smoke grenades, women’s clothing and a camouflaged box resembling belongings of displaced persons.
IDF strikes in Khan Younis
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Al-Hares, a media outlet affiliated with Palestinian factions, said Israeli forces used a civilian vehicle with local plates, women's disguises, concealed weapons and air cover to confuse residents. The channel urged civilians to remain vigilant and report any unfamiliar individuals or suspicious activity.
Palestinian sources said the goal of the raid was to extract intelligence from Sarhan before killing him. Images shared from the scene showed a bundle of mattresses allegedly brought in as part of the disguise.
Palestinian media also reported the killing of Mahdi Kawara, the Hamas’s Southern Khan Younis Battalion commander, though it remains unclear if his death took place during the same operation.
The IDF confirmed operations in Khan Younis as part of the ongoing operation in Gaza but denied media reports that Monday’s mission was related to a hostage rescue. “There is no change in the current situation,” an IDF spokesperson said.
Who was Ahmad Sarhan?
Sarhan was a top operative in the Al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees — Gaza’s third-largest terror group. The group follows a jihadist-salafist ideology and participated in the 2006 kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit alongside Hamas and the Army of Islam.
The group was also responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Eliyahu Asheri that same day, sparking an Israeli operation in Gaza. Over the years, it has carried out numerous attacks, including roadside bombings targeting military and civilian sites both before and after Israel’s 2005 disengagement from Gaza.
In recent years, the group has fired rockets at Israel during multiple rounds of fighting and has lost several senior commanders in Israeli strikes. It also took part in the October 7 massacre and was involved in the abduction and murder of Ohad Yahalomi, whose body was returned to Israel in the latest hostage deal with Hamas.