The Israeli military claimed to have killed five Hamas fighters, including a commander, in an operation in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza. Palestinian doctors said dozens of Palestinians were killed and missing in the area, Al Arabiya reported.

In a statement, the Israeli military and the Shin Bet security agency said they had killed five Hamas fighters, including a Nukhba (commando) company commander and an additional company commander. They alleged that the dead had participated in attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.

The statement also claimed that the commanders had led killings and kidnappings in the Mefalsim area, a kibbutz community in southern Israel near the Gaza border. The commanders killed in the operation were named as Jihad Kahlut and Muhammad Okel. Israel also claims that the two had led the incident by ordering attacks on Israeli territory on October 7.

Meanwhile, doctors in the Gaza Strip said dozens of people were killed and missing as a result of the Israeli overnight raids on Beit Lahia and nearby Jabalia. The Civil Defense Agency did not immediately provide an exact number of dead or missing. However, the Israeli military said it had taken many steps to reduce the risk to civilians.