The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced late Wednesday that they had launched airstrikes on two military targets in the Gaza Strip belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization.
The airstrikes killed a senior Hamas naval operative and destroyed two operational command centers as part of their ongoing efforts to prevent rocket fire from the region.
The airstrikes came after weeks of increasingly hostile rhetoric between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization. In recent days, Hamas had launched multiple rockets into Israel, which were largely intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.
The IDF stated that the airstrikes were a response to these attacks and that they were meant to serve as a warning to Hamas, that Israel would not tolerate their aggression.
The targeted Hamas operative was identified as Ahmad Sorsawi, a senior Hamas naval operative. He was responsible for the coordination of naval actions, planned attacks against Israeli navy vessels, and for the launching of rockets into Israel from the Hamas-controlled coastal strip.
The two command centers that were destroyed were located in Gaza City and Rafah and were used by Hamas as sites to plan, coordinate, and launch attacks against Israel.
The IDF also stated that the airstrikes were successful and that they inflicted significant damage to the Hamas infrastructure.
The airstrikes come as a direct response to the recent escalation of violence from both sides. With the strikes, Israel is sending a strong message to Hamas that it will not tolerate their ongoing aggression. The IDF has vowed to continue to take action against any and all terrorist networks in the region, in order to ensure the security of the Israeli people.