The IDF carried out dozens of strikes in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza, using fighter jets and artillery, Palestinian media reported early Monday. The reports also said internet in the area was cut.
According to Saudi broadcaster Al Arabiya, a special operations force was present in the area in an effort to extract hostages held by Hamas. Although the report could not be independently confirmed, images from the enclave showed helicopters over Khan Younis. The military said there had been no change to the situation on the ground.
IDF in massive strikes on Khan Younis on Monday
Sources in Gaza claimed that during the strikes in Khan Younis, Israeli forces attempted to capture Ahmad Sarhan, a senior commander in the Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, Gaza’s third-largest terrorist organization.
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According to the reports, Sarhan was involved in intelligence gathering and was killed in the operation. His wife and children were reportedly detained.
The escalation follows the IDF’s ground incursion into Gaza and a decision by the Security Cabinet to allow humanitarian aid into the enclave for at least one week. The move, critics say, risks allowing Hamas to regain control of aid distribution before a new mechanism is put in place.
Palestinian sources also claimed that dozens were killed or wounded in strikes near Al-Ansar Hospital, where medical teams reportedly feared an imminent Israeli assault.