The IDF and Shin Bet have officially confirmed the killing of Rafa’a Salameh, commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade, in a strike in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday. Salameh was a close associate of Muhammad Deif, the chief of Hamas’s military wing, and a key mastermind behind the October 7 massacre. According to the IDF, Salameh’s killing is a significant blow to Hamas’s military capabilities. He joined Hamas in the early 1990s and played a significant role in several notable attacks, including the abduction of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006 and the 2014 war. Salameh also commanded Hamas’s combat support and defensive plans during the 2014 war and was in charge of two attack tunnels struck during the May 2021 war. The IDF has yet to confirm whether Deif was also killed in the attack, although he was present at the targeted site. Thus far, officials believe he was killed, but are still waiting for conclusive evidence of such. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)