Israeli forces killed Iyad Ahmed Abd al-Rahman Shambari on Tuesday, the head of operations for Hamas’s ‘military intelligence’. The strike was part of ongoing efforts to target the terror group’s command structure.
Shambari held his senior role in recent years and was a key figure in Hamas’s military intelligence apparatus. He was responsible for compiling operational intelligence across the entire Gaza Strip for Hamas and oversaw the collection of real-time intelligence on IDF forces.
That information was used directly to guide and execute terror attacks against Israeli troops in the field. Beyond his operational terror role, Shambari took an active part in planning the murderous raid and massacre Hamas carried out on October 7.
Operations in Gaza continue. The IDF announced the day before yesterday that in recent months, forces from the Northern Brigade and the Yahalom engineering unit under the 252nd Division completed a focused operation to destroy underground infrastructure in the Beit Hanoun area in northern Gaza. The operation led to the demolition of about 14 kilometers of terror tunnels and the elimination of some 70 terrorists who posed a direct threat to forces and operated in violation of the ceasefire agreement.
The operational activity focused on an area east of the Yellow Line and aimed to clear out remaining Hamas infrastructure and prevent terrorists from re-establishing themselves underground.
Forces operating in the field found evidence inside the underground routes indicating prolonged and advanced use by terrorists in the area. Within the 14 kilometers destroyed, troops uncovered furnished living quarters and extensive combat equipment used by Hamas. The Yahalom unit, which specializes in underground warfare and dismantling subterranean infrastructure, led the engineering effort to take the tunnels out of commission.