On Tuesday, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) launched a strike in Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, targeting prominent Hamas figures Samer Ismail Khadr Abu Daqqa, Ayman Mabhouh, and Osama Tabesh.

The IDF stated that these individuals were located in a command and control center within a designated humanitarian zone.

Mabhouh was identified as a senior Hamas operative, Abu Daqqa as the head of the Aerial Unit, and Tabesh as the chief of the Observation and Targets Department in Hamas’s Military Intelligence Headquarters. The IDF claimed that all three were involved in the October 7 attacks against Israeli forces and the state of Israel.

The IDF highlighted that considerable precautions were taken to minimize civilian casualties, including the use of precision-guided munitions and comprehensive aerial surveillance prior to the strike.

Despite these measures, the Hamas-run health ministry reported that the airstrike resulted in at least 14 deaths, claiming that a tent encampment in the Al-Mawasi area—also a humanitarian zone—was hit by several missiles, causing fires and creating craters up to nine meters deep.

The IDF contested these casualty figures, suggesting that the numbers reported by Hamas did not align with their data or the accuracy of the strike. They reiterated that the operation was executed with precision and aimed at minimizing harm to civilians.

Hamas has a history of operating within civilian areas, complicating efforts to distinguish between civilian and military targets. In July, an airstrike targeted Hamas military commander Mohammad Deif in a humanitarian zone in Khan Yunis.

The group has also used school buildings in Gaza as command centers for planning attacks against Israel, further entangling military operations with civilian infrastructure.