Two Hamas fighters connected to Oct 7 attack killed – IDF

Israeli forces have also reported eliminating three commanders of the Palestinian militant group in an airstrike

Two Hamas fighters believed to have taken part in the October 7 attack on Israel have been eliminated in an airstrike in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Wednesday on its official website.

According to the IDF, the militants were eliminated in a strike carried out by fighter jets. The armed forces did not provide any additional information on how the two militants were tied to the Hamas attack, which signaled the latest escalation in the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

On October 7, Hamas fighters launched a surprise attack on southern Israeli villages near Gaza. The assault resulted in the deaths of over 1,100 people and saw the capture of several hundred hostages who were brought to the enclave.

In its report on Wednesday, the IDF also claimed that it took out two platoon commanders and a squad commander of the Hamas Najaba forces, who were hiding in a military compound.

The IDF accompanied the report with a video purporting to show the two attacks.

The report also stated that Israel’s Nahal Brigade had eliminated some 20 Hamas fighters in Gaza using sniper fire, a drone, and a fighter jet. In one of the attacks, the IDF managed to kill 15 Palestinian fighters by means of a sniper ambush, the document claimed.

Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in an interview with CBS News that his country was close to achieving a “total victory” in its war against Hamas and that it would be a matter of weeks until the conflict ends, after the IDF begins a major ground offensive in the southern end of Gaza.

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“Victory is in reach, and you can’t have victory until you eliminate Hamas,” Netanyahu said. “Once we begin the Rafah operation, the intense phase of the fighting is weeks away from completion.”

Meanwhile, Israel has faced international criticism over its relentless assault and siege of Gaza in its bid to eliminate Hamas. According to the latest estimates by Palestinian health authorities, the war has so far resulted in the deaths of over 30,000 people in Gaza, while more than 70,000 have been wounded.

Additionally, the UN has warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in the enclave, estimating that some 2.3 million Palestinians currently face starvation while nearly 80% of the population have fled their homes.