The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Monday that its Southern Command forces killed Jamal Abu Aoun in a targeted strike in central Gaza on Saturday. Abu Aoun was a commander in Hamas’s military wing who simultaneously worked as a doctor at Yafa Hospital in Deir al-Balah.
According to the IDF, Abu Aoun was involved in advancing and planning terror operations against Israeli forces and the state of Israel, and in his role with the organization commanded Hamas operatives. The military said he recently took part in efforts to rebuild, rehabilitate, and strengthen Hamas—in violation of the ceasefire agreement.
The IDF emphasized that this is “another example of the cynical use that the Hamas terror organization makes of civilian roles to advance terror activity,” exploiting civilian institutions and Gaza’s healthcare workers as part of the organization’s operations. The military added that Southern Command forces remain deployed in the area in accordance with the agreements and will continue to act to remove any immediate threat to Israeli civilians and security forces.