The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), in collaboration with Shin Bet, confirmed on Friday, March 21, 2025, the targeted killing of Osama Tabash, head of Hamas’ military intelligence in southern Gaza.

The operation, executed via a precision airstrike, marks a significant blow to the Palestinian group’s operational framework, targeting a key figure behind its surveillance and attack planning, including the October 7, 2023, massacre.

Tabash, identified as a linchpin in Hamas’ southern command, orchestrated intelligence-gathering efforts and managed reconnaissance operations along the Gaza-Israel border. The IDF credited him with coordinating the group’s deadly incursion 18 months ago, which killed over 1,200 Israelis and took 250 hostages, igniting the ongoing war.

“His elimination disrupts Hamas’ ability to plan and execute terror attacks,” an IDF statement read, released alongside Shin Bet’s confirmation.

The strike, carried out in Khan Younis after weeks of intelligence tracking, reflects Israel’s intensified campaign against Hamas leadership. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant hailed it as a “critical step” in dismantling the group’s military wing, with over 20,000 Hamas fighters reportedly killed or captured since hostilities began.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, briefed on the operation, vowed to pursue every planner of the October 7 assault “until justice is served.”

Hamas acknowledged Tabash’s death, calling it a “cowardly assassination” and promising retaliation. The strike follows a pattern of high-profile eliminations, including Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in July 2024, amid stalled ceasefire talks.

As Gaza’s death toll nears 41,000 per Palestinian health officials, this operation underscores Israel’s resolve to cripple Hamas’ command structure, even as regional tensions escalate.