Israel Announces Killing of Hamas Operative Farah Hamed in Gaza Airstrike

Israeli security forces killed Hamas operative Farah Hamed during a joint operation involving a strike in the central Gaza Strip on Wednesday. The Israel Defense Forces, the Israel Security Agency, and the Israel Police announced the operation on Thursday. Security agencies stated that Hamed was a member of Hamas's military wing and a former senior operative in the organization's West Bank Headquarters. He was also reported to have fought against IDF troops during the current war. Hamed was linked to several deadly attacks in the early 2000s, including a June 2003 shooting that killed Zvi Goldstein, the husband of a Member of Knesset. Other attributed attacks include a November 2002 shooting that killed Esther Galia Atiya, an August 2003 shooting that killed Shalom Har Melech, and an October 2003 attack that killed three IDF soldiers. Hamed was released to the Gaza Strip in 2011 as part of the Gilad Schalit prisoner exchange. Following his release, security agencies say he continued to recruit and direct attacks in the West Bank. While the center lean outlet focused on the death of the MK's husband, the center right lean outlet provided a more detailed list of the victims and the operative's history within the Silwad cell.