Airstrike Kills Hamas’s Top Sniper

Jerusalem, 20 June, 2024 (TPS) -- Hamas’s leading sniper, who also participated in the October 7 attacks, was killed in an airstrike, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed on Thursday.

Ahmed Hassan Salame Alsauarka led and directed Hamas’s sniper activity in the northern Gaza area of Beit Hanoun. He was also a squad commander in Hamas’s elite Nukhba Force that infiltrated Israel on October 7.

Israeli forces had been tracking Alsaurka for a prolonged period before he was killed by a drone. No civilians were injured in the strike.

Meanwhile, in central Gaza, Israeli forces destroyed a Hamas launching post used to fire mortar shells. In addition, two terrorists posing a threat to troops were killed with a precision missile.

In Rafah, soldiers eliminated several terrorists in close-quarters encounters and located rocket launchers in targeted raids.

Since beginning military operations in Rafah, the IDF has uncovered more than 120 tunnel openings and around 25 tunnel tracks.

At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 116 remaining hostages, more than 30 are believed dead.