A direct strike on the economic lifeline of terrorism: The IDF and Shin Bet eliminated Muhammad Abu Alwan, the head of Hamas terror organization’s finance department, in Khan Yunis today (Wednesday). Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement confirming the details of the operation, commending the security forces, and clarifying that the campaign against Hamas targets not only field commanders but also the financial power centers that enable the organization’s survival.
The official joint statement issued by Netanyahu and Katz read: “The IDF recently eliminated Muhammad Abu Alwan, the head of the Hamas terrorist organization’s finance department, in Khan Yunis. We commend the IDF and the Shin Bet for this precise operation and for their vigorous action to thwart our enemies.”
The two emphasized that the operation is part of a systematic plan to dismantle the organization’s support networks: “We continue to pursue Hamas commanders and operatives, strike its funding sources, and destroy its terror infrastructure.” “We will not allow Hamas to rebuild its strength, and we will not stop until Hamas no longer exists in Gaza.”
The elimination of Abu Alwan illustrates the security establishment’s deepening impact on Hamas’s governance and support mechanisms—extending beyond its direct military wing. The terrorist organization’s finance division serves as a critical artery for paying operative salaries, rehabilitating tunnels, procuring and smuggling weaponry, and distributing civilian resources to maintain control on the ground. Eliminating the head of this apparatus in Khan Yunis is intended to disrupt Hamas’s ability to manage remaining resources in the Strip and to prevent any attempts at regrouping for “the day after.”
Abu Alwan’s elimination follows a series of targeted operations against senior Hamas figures in the Khan Yunis area. On September 11, the IDF and the Shin Bet announced the killing of Muhammad Yazouri, commander of the Khan Yunis Brigade within Hamas’s military wing. That same strike also killed Hudayfa Ma’amar, a company commander, and Muhammad Bahjat Rachi, another operative in the brigade.
Hamas subsequently confirmed Yazouri’s death, stating that he was a member of the military wing’s General Military Council. Prior to his appointment as brigade commander, he had served—among other roles—as commander of the Central Khan Yunis Battalion, head of the brigade’s intelligence staff, and deputy brigade commander. According to the organization, he also participated in the October 7 attack. A few days later, Rafat Abu Zamar—a company commander in the military wing’s operations headquarters—was eliminated in Khan Yunis. According to the IDF, Abu Zamar was involved in training terrorists for the October 7 attack and subsequently continued to engage in training and the development of Hamas’s combat capabilities.
Earlier, in late August, the IDF and the Shin Bet eliminated Hazem Musa and Razek Sahil Suleiman Abu Shahma in the Khan Yunis area. According to the IDF, both men participated in the raid on the Re’im base on October 7; Abu Shahma had even previously served as a bodyguard for Yahya Sinwar. The IDF stated that in the period leading up to their elimination, the two had been engaged in advancing terror plots and attempting to rehabilitate the organization’s capabilities.
This activity is not limited to the Khan Yunis Brigade. On September 15, Nayel Abu Obeid—commander of Hamas’s Rafah Brigade, who had been appointed to the role following the elimination of his predecessor, Muhammad Shabana—was killed. Previously, Abu Obeid had served as the brigade’s deputy commander and as commander of the Tel al-Sultan and Yibna battalions. According to the IDF and the Shin Bet, he was responsible for the brigade’s terrorist operations and had attempted to rebuild its force structure following the damage it sustained during the war.