OAN’s James Meyers
1:54 PM – Tuesday, October 17, 2023
The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) announced that they have taken down one of Hamas’ top commanders in an airstrike.
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The announcement was shared in a post to X (Twitter) on Tuesday by the IDF, saying that Hamas Commander Ayman Nofal was killed in an airstrike on Tuesday morning.
“We just eliminated Ayman Nofal, a senior Hamas operative,” IDF posted to X on Tuesday, formerly known as Twitter. “Nofal was the Commander of Hamas’ Central Brigade in Gaza and the former Head of Military Intelligence. Nofal directed many attacks against Israeli civilians and besides being one of the most dominant figures in the terrorist organization, he was involved in the planning of the abduction of Gilad Shalit. We won’t stop until we eliminate Hamas.”
Hamas confirmed Nofal’s death, according to the Associated Press. The death comes as the IDF has started targeting Hamas hideouts, command centers, and different infrastructures.
Additionally, another airstrike in Gaza reportedly killed 14 people at a home belonging to the family of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, including his brother and nephew. Haniyeh lives in Qatar.
According to the IDF, Nofal was an integral part of the terrorist group and he carried out “numerous attacks against Israel and security forces.”
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that members of Hamas had two options in the war: “to surrender or die.”
“Our warplanes will reach everywhere… every missile has an address. We will reach each and every one of the members of Hamas,” Gallant told pilots and technicians of the Israel Air Force’s F-35 fleet at the Nevatim airbase.
“Hamas members have two options: Either die in their positions or surrender unconditionally. There is no third option. We will wipe out the Hamas organization and dismantle all of its capabilities,” Gallant said.
President Joe Biden will be visiting Israel on Wednesday to meet with top officials to discuss the war.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken also announced that the United States has agreed to send humanitarian aid to residents in the Gaza Strip without fears that the aid may fall into the hands of Hamas members.
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