The IDF and Shin Bet issued a joint statement regarding the airstrike near Khan Yunis on July 13, confirming the killing of Rafa Salama, commander of the Khan Yunis Battalion of the Hamas terrorist organization.
According to the report, Salama was an associate of Muhammad Daif, the leader of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing, and was involved in planning the 10/7 massacre.
Salama joined Hamas in the early 1990s, initially fighting with the Muhammad Sinwar group. He played a role in the 2006 kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and later oversaw tunnel construction and combat training in the Khan Yunis Battalion.
In 2016, Salama succeeded Muhammad Sinwar as battalion commander, focusing on tunnel-based attacks and rocket launches from Khan Yunis.
"The removal of Salama deals a significant blow to Hamas's military capabilities," stated the IDF and Shin Bet.
It should be noted that the confirmation of Muhammad Daif's elimination is still pending.
