The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Thursday the elimination of Hussam Shawan, the head of Hamas’s internal security apparatus in southern Gaza, in a targeted airstrike. Shawan, described as a pivotal figure in Hamas’s operations, was reportedly hiding in the Khan Yunis humanitarian zone at the time of the strike.
The IDF accused Shawan and Hamas’s internal security apparatus of perpetrating human rights abuses, including violent interrogations of Gaza Strip residents and suppressing dissent against the organization. According to the IDF, Shawan played a critical role in gathering intelligence for Hamas’s military operations, directly opposing Israeli forces in Gaza.
In a statement, the IDF said, “The terrorist Shawan was responsible for creating an intelligence picture, together with other bodies of the military wing of the Hamas terrorist organization, against the activities of our forces in the Gaza Strip.”
The Head of Hamas Internal Security Forces in southern Gaza, the terrorist Hassam Shahwan, was eliminated by the IAF in an intelligence-based strike in the Humanitarian Area in Khan Yunis.
Shahwan was responsible for developing intelligence assessments in coordination with… pic.twitter.com/5sr6Dt9XR5
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) January 2, 2025
The airstrike, described by the IDF as “precisely executed,” reportedly employed aerial surveillance and advanced munitions to minimize civilian harm. However, the IDF criticized Hamas for what it termed as “systematic violations of international law,” alleging the group frequently exploits civilian areas and infrastructure to shield its military activities.
The strike comes amid ongoing tensions following Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. The attacks resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people, with 252 Israelis and foreigners taken hostage. Of the 97 remaining hostages, more than 30 have been declared dead. Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians, taken captive in 2014 and 2015, along with the bodies of two Israeli soldiers killed in 2014.
