Several Senior Hamas Officials Killed in Israeli Airstrikes

The Israeli army announced on Thursday, January 3, that Hussam Shahwan, head of Hamas's internal security forces, a group backed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, was killed in an airstrike on a humanitarian area in Khan Younis. In this context, Hamas confirmed the deaths of Mahmoud Salah, the director general of the Gaza police, and his deputy, Hussam Shahwan, in the Israeli airstrike on Al-Mawasi near Khan Younis. According to the Israeli army's statement, Shahwan was responsible for developing intelligence assessments in coordination with elements of Hamas's military wing in attacks against Israeli forces in Gaza. The statement adds that Hamas's internal security forces, while conducting 'violent interrogations of the people of Gaza, are responsible for human rights violations against the population of this densely populated area and for suppressing dissent within this terrorist organization.' Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups have been repeatedly accused in recent years, especially since the terrorist attack on October 7 of last year, of misusing civilian infrastructure for military purposes and using civilians as 'human shields.' Establishing command centers in hospitals and mosques, as well as hiding and continuing the activities of Palestinian militants in humanitarian areas designed to minimize civilian casualties, are among the issues that Hamas denies despite repeated documentation and evidence. Reuters reported that during the Israeli airstrikes on Thursday across Gaza, at least 37 Palestinians, including six members of Hamas's internal ministry and 11 women and children, lost their lives. An Israeli army spokesperson emphasized that Thursday's attacks were conducted in accordance with international law and that 'possible precautions to minimize harm to civilians' were taken into account. Islamic Jihad, another group supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, also announced that on Thursday it had fired rockets toward the kibbutz 'Holit' near Gaza. In response, the Israeli army reported intercepting and destroying a projectile fired from southern Gaza. The Israeli army's assault on Gaza followed Hamas's terrorist attack on Israel, in which 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and over 250, including women, the elderly, and children, were taken hostage. Israeli officials have repeatedly emphasized that the war against Hamas and other Palestinian militants in Gaza will continue until Hamas is destroyed and all hostages are freed. The United States, the European Union, Israel, and many other countries consider Hamas a terrorist organization. Hamas launched two missiles at Israel in the early hours of 2025. An Israeli report to the United Nations stated that Hamas tortured hostages. 240 members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad were arrested in the 'Kamal Adwan' hospital in Gaza. The World Health Organization expressed concern over the collapse of the health system in northern Gaza. The Israeli Prime Minister's office criticized the negotiating team: 'Do not play on Hamas's field.'