Israel’s military said it killed a Hamas fighter in an overnight airstrike in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza during a ceasefire. The Israel Defense Forces identified the man as Mohammed Abd al-Nasser Jabr Abu Asad, describing him as a member of Hamas’s elite Nukhba force. The military alleged that Abu Asad was among those who took part in the October 7, 2023 attack in Israel.

The IDF said the same strike also targeted another Hamas member whom it alleged had entered Israel during the October 7 attack. According to the military, that person is believed to have survived the strike. No further details about the second target or the reported attack were provided in the source.

Justifying the strike during the ceasefire, the IDF said the two men had been preparing attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians and were seeking to rebuild Hamas’s military capabilities. It said these activities constituted a systematic violation of the ceasefire. The military said the strike was carried out to remove what it described as a threat.