The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) announced a major success last week with the targeted killing of several senior terror operatives in the Gaza Strip. These actions represent the latest phase in Israel’s ongoing counter-terror campaign, aimed at dismantling the organizational leadership and operational capabilities of Iranian-backed networks such as Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Since the October 7, 2023 massacre—the deadliest antisemitic attack since the Holocaust—Israel’s security doctrine has prioritized the preemptive neutralization of terrorist threats to prevent further atrocities against its population.
Among those eliminated in recent operations was Ali Nadal Hassani Tsarfiti, a senior PFLP commander. Tsarfiti had previously served a lengthy prison term in Israel from 2002 to 2015 for involvement in terrorist activities, including recruiting operatives, facilitating military training, and planning a suicide attack inside Israel. Following his release from prison, investigations revealed that Tsarfiti resumed terror activities as a leading figure in the PFLP, maintaining operational ties with terror cells in Judea and Samaria. Intelligence obtained by Shin Bet indicated that over recent years, he served as a financial linchpin for PFLP-affiliated groups, channeling millions of shekels to support infrastructure building and the planning of attacks targeting Israeli civilians.
In a related strike, Israeli forces also eliminated Said Amin Said Abu Hasanin, a prominent Hamas Nukhba commander in the Deir al-Balah battalion. Hasanin played a pivotal role in orchestrating and personally commanding the assault on Kfar Kissufim, as part of the widespread October 7 infiltration. The Kissufim attack formed part of the broader rampage, in which Iranian-backed Hamas gunmen crossed into southern Israel, murdering, mutilating, and abducting scores of innocent civilians. The events of that day have become emblematic of the existential threat Israel faces from Iranian proxies, and a major catalyst for the current security campaign.
Security analysts emphasize that the elimination of high-ranking terror leaders like Tsarfiti and Hasanin disrupts not only ongoing command-and-control but also long-term efforts to build terror networks spanning from Gaza into Judea and Samaria. Intelligence reports confirm these leaders actively managed the recruitment and training of operatives, coordinated weapons smuggling, and distributed funds for logistical support of attacks.
The IDF’s operational priorities include targeting senior planners, logistical coordinators, and field commanders who pose both immediate and strategic threats to Israeli security. Operations are grounded in rigorous intelligence-gathering, persistent surveillance, and precision targeting, seeking to minimize collateral damage despite the documented use of civilian infrastructure by terror operatives. Israeli military authorities report that targets are carefully selected based on ongoing assessments and real-time intelligence, allowing for focused strikes in densely populated urban environments where terrorists often embed among noncombatants.
The continued campaign unfolds against the backdrop of a broader regional struggle against the so-called “axis of resistance,” comprising Iranian-backed groups across Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and Iraq. Iranian support—financial, operational, and ideological—has been fundamental to the ability of terror organizations like Hamas and the PFLP to sustain attacks against Israel. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran has been identified as a primary facilitator of this transnational terror effort, working to coordinate activities through weapons transfers, intelligence sharing, and proxy leadership.
The October 7 massacre, now recognized as the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust, resulted in the killing of over 1,200 Israeli civilians and the kidnapping of more than 240 men, women, and children, who continue to be held hostage. Israeli officials have emphasized the distinction between terrorist abductors and their innocent civilian victims, as well as the violation of international law by groups that deliberately target noncombatants and use hostages as leverage.
Israel’s self-defense operations have drawn support from key allies, with the United States and European powers reiterating the Jewish state’s right and duty to protect its citizens from terror. These partners have emphasized the necessity of targeting terrorist leadership, cutting financial channels, and severing regional links among Iran’s proxies. Israel, for its part, has worked to coordinate responses with allied intelligence services and to maintain humanitarian corridors where possible, even as terror groups often attempt to exploit such measures for tactical advantage.
The targeting of terror figures like Tsarfiti and Hasanin is interpreted by Israeli defense officials as both a tactical and moral imperative, designed to degrade the enemy’s ability to carry out attacks, deter future aggression, and reaffirm the principle that those who orchestrate acts of terror will not enjoy impunity. The ongoing nature of these operations reflects the scale of the challenge: Hamas, the PFLP, and aligned groups continue to receive significant material support from Iran and are embedded within the civilian population of Gaza, complicating operational planning and highlighting the enduring complexity of Israel’s security mission.
Amid continuing threats from the north and renewed rocket fire from Gaza, the IDF and Shin Bet reaffirm their strategic objectives—to protect Israel’s sovereignty, defend its citizens, and restore security and deterrence along all borders. The removal of senior terror commanders marks a significant accomplishment in this campaign but signals also the persistent and evolving nature of the threats Israel confronts. As operations continue, Israeli leaders have made clear that the campaign against terror is not only a matter of national survival but also a broader stand against the forces of regional destabilization and ideological extremism.
In summary, Israel’s recent successes in counter-terror operations underscore the effectiveness of its joint military-intelligence approach and reaffirm the enduring necessity of its self-defense measures in the face of ongoing threats from Iranian-backed terror networks.
