Israeli Military Says Airstrike Killed Hamas Sniper Commander

The Israeli army says it has killed a Hamas sniper commander in an airstrike in the central Gaza Strip, in what the military described as a targeted operation against a fighter who had carried out repeated attacks on Israeli troops throughout the war.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) identified the commander as Omar Ahmed Abu Qasem, saying he participated in executing terror attacks against Israeli forces in Gaza over the course of the conflict.

The military said Abu Qasem had in recent weeks been working to restore Hamas’s capabilities and advance attacks against Israeli troops, in what the IDF described as a violation of the October 2025 ceasefire agreement.

The strike was carried out on Wednesday, with the announcement made on Thursday morning.

Israel has maintained that recent strikes in Gaza are responses to violations of the ceasefire by Hamas operatives who continue to plot and advance attacks against its forces operating in the territory.

The Gaza Strip has recorded more than 1,000 Palestinian deaths since the ceasefire took effect in October 2025, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.