The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, confirmed in a statement on Friday evening the death of its senior leader, Zahi Yasser Awfi, in an Israeli airstrike on Tulkarm, West Bank. Alongside Awfi, seven other fighters were also killed in the attack.
The Israeli military claimed responsibility for the strike, stating that Awfi, who was the head of Hamas in Tulkarm, was killed during an operation on Thursday.
Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army spokesperson, posted on his “X” account, saying, “The IDF and Shin Bet eliminated the leader of Hamas’ terrorist network in Tulkarm, who was planning an imminent terror attack inside Israel.”
According to Adraee, Awfi had orchestrated an attempt to execute a car bomb attack in the Atara area in September. He was also involved in supplying weapons to various militants in the region and was actively planning additional large-scale attacks targeting towns in Judea, Samaria, and deep within Israel, including a planned imminent operation.
Adraee added that Awfi had established a Hamas-affiliated terror infrastructure and helped militants carry out significant shooting and bombing operations.
