The Israeli army said that in an attack carried out last Tuesday in the north of the Gaza Strip, Fares al-Masri, the head of a section of Hamas’s weapons production staff, was killed.

According to a statement from the Israeli army, al-Masri was operating as part of Hamas’s efforts to rebuild its military capabilities and resume arms production; an action Israel described as a violation of a ceasefire agreement.

The Israeli army also said that in a separate attack on the same day, Mohamed Abu Shakyan, one of Hamas’s elite forces, was also killed in the north of the Gaza Strip.

The statement said that in recent weeks, the two Hamas members had played a role in advancing attack plans against Israeli army forces and Israeli citizens, and that targeting them was carried out in order to remove security threats.

In closing, the Israeli army emphasized that its forces under the command of the Southern Region, in accordance with existing agreements, are deployed in the area and will continue operations to counter any threats against Israel.