Israel targets Hamas commanders as post-ceasefire toll climbs in Gaza
Shafaq News – Middle East
Israel killed two senior Hamas operatives in airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said on Thursday, as the death toll in the enclave continued to rise despite the ceasefire.
In a statement, the military identified the first victim as Abdullah Abu Shmaleh, the head of Hamas’s naval force in Gaza, describing him as a prominent commander who held multiple posts over the years and oversaw planning and training for the unit’s October 7, 2023, maritime assault, which followed years of Israeli hostilities against the Palestinian people.
#عاجل 🔻ردًا على خرق اتفاقية وقف إطلاق النار: جيش الدفاع وجهاز الشاباك يقضيان على رئيش المنظومة البحرية لحركة حماس الإرهابية ومخرب آخر شارك في احتجاز مختطفين إسرائيليين ومنهم نمرود كوهين ودافيد كونيو ومختطفين أخرين⭕️اغار جيش الدفاع أمس على أهداف ومخربين لحركة حماس الإرهابية في… pic.twitter.com/zu3VGy8BLZ
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) November 20, 2025
The military also listed Fadi Abu Mustafa, a tunnel official in a Khan Younis–area battalion, asserting that he took part in holding Israeli captives seized on October 7.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reported 33 deaths and 88 injuries in the past 24 hours, including 12 children and eight women. It noted that more casualties remain under rubble and along roads where rescue teams have been unable to reach them.
Since the ceasefire that began on 11 October 2025, the ministry has documented 312 fatalities, 760 injuries, and 572 recovered bodies. It said the overall toll from Israeli military operations since the war began has climbed to 69,546 killed and 170,833 wounded, most of them women and children.
