JERUSALEM, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Tuesday that together with the Israel Security Agency, it carried out a precise strike against Hamas militants beneath the European Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis.
Israel's state-owned Kan TV News and other media outlets reported that the target of the attack was Mohammed Sinwar, the younger brother of former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by the Israeli army in southern Gaza in mid-October last year. Mohammed Sinwar has become Hamas' de facto head in Gaza following his brother's death.
The reports did not indicate whether Mohammed Sinwar was harmed in the attack.
The IDF stated that the attack was aimed at an underground Hamas command and control center, accusing the Hamas movement of continuing to use hospitals in Gaza for terrorist activity.
It added that before and during the strike, several steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure, including "the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence." ■
