Palestinians Claim 50 Dead as Israel Hits Senior Hamas Commanders in Rafah

Earlier this evening, in an airstrike conducted by the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli intelligence services, an Israeli Air Force aircraft killed terrorist Yasin Rabiya, a commander in the Hamas leadership in Judea and Samaria, and Khaled Nagar, a senior member of Hamas’ Judea and Samaria branch.

The attack was carried out based on precise intelligence in the Tal as-Sultan area, northwest of Rafah.

Hamas’ Judea and Samaria branch is responsible for planning, financing and carrying out terrorist attacks throughout Judea and Samaria and inside Israel.

Terrorist Yassin Rabiya managed all of Hamas’ terrorist activities in Judea and Samaria, transferred funds to terrorist targets, and planned Hamas terrorist attacks throughout Judea and Samaria.
Rabiya has carried out a number of deadly terrorist attacks in the past, including in 2001 and 2002, in which Israel Defense Force soldiers were killed.

Terrorist Khaled Nagar was a senior member of Hamas’ Judea and Samaria headquarters, directing shootings and other terrorist activities in Judea and Samaria, and transferring funds for Hamas’ terrorist activities in the Gaza Strip. Khaled Nagar carried out several deadly terrorist attacks between 2001 and 2003, resulting in the deaths of several Israeli civilians and the injury or death of several Israeli soldiers.

The IDF is aware of reports that the attack and fire injured several civilians in the area. The incident is currently under investigation.

The IDF also said it “regrets harming non-combatants during the war” and that the airstrikes were “conducted against legitimate targets under international law, with precise munitions and based on precise intelligence indicating Hamas’ exploitation of the area.”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also responded to reports that women and children were killed in the airstrikes and subsequent gunfire. Said The country’s prosecutor will investigate the incident.

Reports suggest the civilian death toll is likely high because Hamas commanders were in or near camps for displaced Palestinians, close to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) compound.

Some skeptical Israeli media, notably Abu Ali Express (above), have argued that Hamas is trying to exploit Western sensitivities over the deaths in Rafah after the Biden administration has voiced opposition to Israeli activity in the region for months and after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on Friday that Israel must stop attacks in the region. The ICJ has no independent enforcement mechanism and is seen by Israelis as biased against Israel.

Hamas knows that an Israeli attack would mean paying an international diplomatic price that would deter future attacks, and it has been known to use civilians as “human shields” to deter attacks on its leadership, terrorists, and infrastructure.

Joel B. Pollack is executive editor of Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday The show airs Sunday nights from 7 to 10 p.m. (4 to 7 p.m. ET) on SiriusXM Patriot. He is the author of his recently published e-book,The Zionist Conspiracy (And How to Join It)” is available on Audible. He is also the author of an e-book. Not Free or Fair: The 2020 US Presidential ElectionHe is the recipient of the Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship in 2018. Follow him on Twitter. Joel Pollack.