The IDF and Shin Bet announced Friday that they have killed the commander of Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Shejaiya sector in a recent airstrike in the Gaza Strip. The slain terrorist, identified as Fadl Abu al-Ata, had risen from deputy commander to head of Islamic Jihad’s regional unit during the October 7 assault on southern Israel. According to Israeli authorities, Abu al-Ata “was one of the key coordinators between terror organizations in the Shejaiya sector” and orchestrated “numerous terror attacks against IDF troops.” He is also accused of infiltrating into Israeli territory alongside other militants at the outset of the war last year. In a separate operation, the IDF reported that they eliminated Hamed Kamel Abd al-Aziz Iyad, an explosives expert in Islamic Jihad’s Turukman Battalion. Israeli officials said Iyad “was responsible for planning and executing terrorist and explosive attacks against IDF forces.” The strikes form part of ongoing Israeli efforts to target senior Islamic Jihad operatives in Gaza. Both Abu al-Ata and Iyad were considered high-value targets due to their roles in coordinating cross-border incursions and attacks on Israeli soldiers. The IDF said it will continue its campaign “against those who threaten Israeli civilians and soldiers” and emphasized the precision nature of the strikes to minimize civilian harm. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)