Combat helicopters of the Air Force attacked the target on Wednesday (the 5th), guided by the Shin Bet, Military Intelligence, and Southern Command, to neutralize an immediate threat. The target was a command and control facility disguised within the humanitarian compound in Deir al-Balah, used by terrorists from the Hamas and PIJ organizations.
Among those killed were Abdullah Khattab, the commander of the Southern Deir al-Balah battalion in the PIJ, who oversaw the deployment of PIJ terrorists in the deadly October 7 attack in the Gaza Envelope area. Khattab promoted and executed terror operations against Israeli territory and IDF forces, including anti-tank missile attacks and mortar fire. Also killed was Khatem Abu al-Jadian, the commander of the Eastern Deir al-Balah battalion in the PIJ, who advanced and carried out terror operations against IDF forces during the conflict.
The IDF stated that prior to the attack, extensive measures were taken to minimize the risk to civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial reconnaissance, and additional intelligence: "This is another example of the systematic use of civilian populations and infrastructure, including humanitarian spaces, by terror organizations in the Gaza Strip for carrying out terror activities against the state and IDF forces."