Israeli forces conducted a raid in Gaza City on Wednesday aiming to detain a senior Hamas operative, an operation that escalated into a series of airstrikes resulting in multiple Palestinian casualties, Gaza health officials reported. The assault was reportedly uncovered during its execution, prompting Israeli airstrikes to facilitate the forces’ withdrawal.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed the detention of a high-ranking Hamas fighter but did not provide additional details about the individual or the specifics of the operation. An Israeli security official identified the detainee as the head of Hamas’ internal security service. Meanwhile, Hamas official Ismail al-Thawabta, director of the Gaza government media office, said an Israeli special forces unit attempted the raid in Gaza City but was detected, leading to heavy Israeli airstrikes that caused casualties and damage in the area.
Witnesses in western Gaza City, particularly near the Katiba neighborhood—a densely populated area with many displaced families—reported hearing at least 12 missile strikes by Israeli warplanes. Gaza medical sources said the strikes killed at least four Palestinians, including two children and a woman, while others were wounded. Two vehicles were destroyed in the bombardment. Separately, another child was reported killed by Israeli fire in central Gaza, east of Deir Al-Balah, an area where Israeli forces also opened fire, injuring two others.
Residents recounted how the explosions forced families to flee their shelters, including from a nearby kindergarten. In a brief statement, the Israeli military said it had struck several targets in Gaza to neutralize threats against Israeli forces but did not elaborate further.
During a visit to Netiv HaAsara near the northern Gaza border, Katz emphasized Israel’s proactive stance in targeting Hamas fighters, stating, “This is our policy: we do not wait for threats, but rather pursue Hamas fighters, thwart them, and destroy their infrastructure.”
The recent raid comes amid a tenuous ceasefire brokered in October 2025, supported by the United States, which halted large-scale hostilities but did not stop Israeli operations in Gaza. While Israel describes such raids as necessary measures to prevent attacks from Hamas and other armed groups, Hamas accuses Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire and obstructing efforts to implement a broader peace plan advanced by U.S. President Donald Trump. The plan calls for further Israeli military withdrawals from Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas.
Since the ceasefire’s inception, Gaza health officials report more than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed in ongoing strikes and clashes. During the same period, Israeli military sources say four Israeli soldiers have died in related attacks.