Gaza: IDF Eliminates Top Hamas Planner Salah al-Bardawil, ‘Encircles’ Terrorist Stronghold in Rafah
Ynet News: “Muhammad Hassan al-Amour, an aide to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, was also killed in overnight Israeli strikes on Gaza.”
An Israeli drone strike eliminated senior Hamas terrorist Salah al-Bardawil, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Sunday. Bardawil, who was chief of the Gaza-based terror group’s overall “strategic and military” planning, was killed while hiding in a tent in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis.
The IDF strike is the latest in the series of targeted elimination of Hamas’ top terrorist leadership, which began earlier this week after the jihadist group rejected a U.S. ceasefire proposal.
Following the elimination of Salah Bardawil, only half of Hamxs politburo members who were in office on October 7 remain. Ten have been eliminated so far, including Yahya Sinwar and Shura Council head Osama al-Muzayni.
Bardawil is the fourth member eliminated in less than a… pic.twitter.com/ROaGj8RAgC
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) March 23, 2025
Bardawil’s elimination is a major blow to Hamas as it reignites the conflict with Israel. “Bardawil served as a senior terrorist in Hamas’ political bureau, and as part of his role, directed the strategic and military planning of the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip,” the IDF said in a press release Sunday. “This elimination further degrades Hamas’ military and government capabilities.”
Salah Bardawil, head of Hamas' planning and development office, was eliminated in southern Gaza.
Bardawil served as a senior terrorist in Hamas' political bureau, and as part of his role, directed the strategic and military planning of Hamas.
The IDF will continue to… pic.twitter.com/0JHGzOR8fQ
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 23, 2025
Israel also reportedly eliminated Muhammad Hassan al-Amour, a close confidant of Hamas’s slain terror chief Yahya Sinwar. “Muhammad Hassan al-Amour, an aide to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, was also killed in overnight Israeli strikes on Gaza,” the Israeli news website YNET reported Sunday. The IDF is yet to confirm al-Amour’s killing.
If we consider the reports of the IDF spokesperson and the Palestinian channels in recent days – this is what the ground advance efforts of the IDF forces in the Gaza Strip look like following the resumption of fighting. It seems like a multi-pronged attack on the Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/RyOiPArYQL
— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) March 23, 2025
The IDF was carrying out widespread military operations across Gaza. Israel “troops dismantled terrorist infrastructure and rocket launchers and eliminated dozens of terrorists,” the Israeli news website Arutz Sheva reported Sunday. “At the same time, fighter jets, aircraft, and naval vessels of the IAF and the Israeli Navy continue to strike targets and provide support to the ground forces.”
The IDF on Sunday evening took out two more Hamas commanders with long terrorist track-record, including involvement in October 7 massacre.
The Arutz Sheva reported in separate article :
In these strikes, the IDF and ISA eliminated the deputy commander of Hamas’ Gaza Brigade, the terrorist Ahmad Salman ‘Awj Shimali. Shimali was responsible for operations, planning the offensive strategy, and building the brigade’s force in preparation for Hamas’s brutal massacre on October 7.
The IDF noted that during the war, Shimali was responsible for the deployment of the Gaza Brigade’s forces.
Additionally, the commander of Hamas’ Shejaiya Battalion, Jamil Omar Jamil Wadiya, was also eliminated. For most of the war, Wadiya led the battalion after replacing the terrorist Wessam Farhat, who was eliminated in December 2023.
According to the IDF, Wadiya was responsible for deploying the battalion’s forces against IDF troops and operated to restore and reorganize the battalion. Moreover, Wadiya was involved in the anti-tank missile attack on a yellow school bus in April 2011, in which 16-year-old Daniel Viflic was murdered.
The IDF has eliminated the deputy commander of Hamas' Gaza Brigade and the commander of its Shejaiya Battalion.
Hamas should free the hostages and surrender. pic.twitter.com/YonljlnvaF
— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) March 23, 2025
IDF ‘encircles’ key Hamas terror stronghold in Rafah
As part of the ongoing Gaza operation, the IDF on Sunday ‘encircled’ Tel al-Sultan, the southernmost area of Rafah.
“Over the past hours, IDF troops operated and concluded the encirclement of Tel al-Sultan in Rafah,” the military disclosed. “The purpose of the activity is to dismantle terror infrastructure sites and eliminate terrorists in the area, in order to reinforce control and expand the security zone in southern Gaza.”
“During the night, the troops encircled the area, eliminated several terrorists, and conducted a targeted raid on a terror infrastructure site that was used over the past few months as a command and control center of Hamas terrorists,” the IDF added.
Noting the strategic importance of the area for Hamas, the Jerusalem Post reported that “Tel Sultan is in western Rafah, somewhat closer to the Mediterranean coastline. Tel Sultan is where the IDF killed former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, was the center of Hamas resistance in Rafah in the summer of 2024, and a location where many hostages were kept, including six who were executed by Hamas.”
IDF has been retaking parts of Rafah, Gaza pic.twitter.com/3FXfJQxCVP
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) March 23, 2025
The Israeli military was facilitating the evacuation of civilians from the area. “The Israel Defense Forces issued an “urgent” and immediate evacuation warning for Palestinians in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood in the southern Gaza Strip’s Rafah on Sunday,” the Israeli TV channel i24NEWS confirmed.
The Times of Israel reported Bardawil’s elimination and ongoing IDF operation:
An Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip late Saturday killed Hamas political leader Salah al-Bardawil, the military and the Palestinian terror group confirmed Sunday.
Bardawil was a well-known member of the terror group’s political wing who gave media interviews over the years. (…)
Bardawil was the third Hamas political official to have been killed in renewed Israeli airstrikes. The terror group’s de facto government head Issam Da’alis and internal security chief Mahmoud Abu Watfa were killed on Tuesday, along with several other officials.
Many other members of the politburo were killed earlier in the fighting, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly saying that one of the main aims of the war is to destroy Hamas both as a military and a governing entity. The war was sparked by the terror group’s October 7, 2023, onslaught. (…)
The military said the offensive there was aimed at destroying Hamas’s infrastructure and expanding a buffer zone along the border.
During the operation, Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck several Hamas targets in the area.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
Hamas planner?
Sounds like an important job. But I’m sure he can be replaced by one of the student protesters at Columbia.
Mahmoud Kalil?
These positions have developed into short term jobs, not career starts.
Maybe a “job openings” flier, or better yet a “job fair” at the colleges. Or pass them out at the Tesla protests.
Considering Pale terrorists loses, shouldn’t American Pales be sent, especially Rashida Tlaib, as reinforcements?
They realize Rashida can do more harm where she is now, and she probably knows that life for a woman in Gaza is not what she might like.
Righteoh, there. In Gaza no one will listen to a female. Least of all to one who carries the delusion that SHE MUST BE HEARD AND HEEDED. Her delusions of grandeur would beg heartily for dire consequences to befall her.
It would be amusing to put her in such a situation, though, and “casually observe” how it plays out.
Wanted: Terrorist leader for non-permanent position. Duties will include directing ground forces, torturing captives, planning attacks on civilians, and other duties as assigned. Health care not provided (you won’t need it).
Kill more please. Many more.
I bet if enough MOABs were used that the 80% of Palestine Arabs would cry uncle.
Crush Hamas, drive them into the sea, and listen to the lamentation of their women!
er, squeeeeze me, the correct term is “celebration”.
One thing I am puzzled by is the terrific information Israel intelligence has about the whereabouts of Hamas leaders and the zero intelligence it has about the whereabouts of the hostages.
It’s doubtful those hostages are using any forms of communication that can be intercepted like with planners who need ways of getting their plans out to the people in the field.
What concerns me more is that there isn’t one single story or any instances of “Palestinians” harbouring safely any hostages…unlike what you had in nazeeeee occupied Europe where there is countless instances of Europeans hiding Jews in basements or attics.
Exactly. These big shots are running around leaving a trail of breadcrumbs like we don’t have aerial surveillance. Hostages would require spy infiltration that we simply don’t have and that’s assuming they get it in the right terror cell and the hostages are even alive.
OTOH, if Israel has intelligence on the whereabouts of hostages, it would certainly not admit it. They would sit on it until such time it became actionable. What we would see in the news is that IDF force “stumbled upon hostages” during an operation. The IDF wouldn’t necessarily let on that a hostage rescue was the result of intelligence unless the intelligence sources were known to no longer be functioning (they wouldn’t want to disclose the existence of operational assets by admitting a hostage rescue was the result of specific intelligence).
I have long held that most of the IDf resources are very much laying low, as their actions helping IDf would surely result in their own death, and a very unpleasant one at that.
Based on reports we DO have, though, it is plain that the captives have been very well and carefully hidden, and are rarely moved about. This there is little to nothing to draw attention or produce any useful intel. But yes, IDf have an amazing network of “leaks:, and I’d guess a similarly sophisticated network of underground assets.
SO commendable! From the photo, nine more pretty please!
In other news the Hodge Twins and Tucker Carlson are planning to attend the funeral of a friend named Muhammad Hassan al-Amour
Leave a Comment