The IDF and Shin Bet killed the head of the Security Directorate of Hamas’ Security Mechanisms in an air strike on Sunday, the army announced on Monday.
The terrorist, Tharwat Muhammad Ahmed Albec, was in a command center in Gaza, which previously served as a school when he was eliminated.
The Security Directorate of Hamas’ Security Mechanisms provides Hamas with intelligence assessments that help its commanders to make operational decisions. The Directorate also provides security for senior Hamas members, such as finding them hideout places where they can operate away from the action.
According to the IDF, Albec was a central figure in the Directorate.
The IAF and IDF stated that they took steps to mitigate the risk of civilian causalities, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence.
Founder of the Directorate
In October, the IDF killed the head of the Hamas government, Rawhi Mushtaha, who established the General Security Mechanism alongside Yahya Sinwar.
The two men served a prison sentence together in an Israeli jail, and Mushtaha was considered to be the most senior figure in the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip.