Israel Strikes Hamas Commanders in Gaza Hospital and City

The Israel Defense Forces conducted a series of strikes across the Gaza Strip on Friday and Saturday, targeting Hamas commanders and operatives. On Saturday, the military struck the compound of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah to target an unnamed Hamas commander. The IDF stated the commander was planning attacks against Israeli troops and civilians in violation of a US-backed ceasefire that began in October 2025.

Hospital officials reported the strike hit near a warehouse by the maternity ward, injuring three people. The IDF characterized the operation as an example of Hamas using humanitarian infrastructure to carry out terror activity. Other Saturday strikes killed three people, including one in eastern Deir Al-Balah and two in the Tel Al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City, where the military targeted a military operative.

These actions followed a Friday strike in northern Gaza that killed Hassan Zidan Hassan Deiri, a Hamas sniper, and Hani Abd al-Hai Fakhri Mazloum, a company commander in the elite Nukhba Force. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that Israeli forces will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas fully disarms, justifying the continued operations as necessary to eliminate security threats.