IDF Destroys Hamas Weapons Depots, Eliminates Sniper Commander in Central Gaza

Key Facts

Published: July 16, 2026 Location: Gaza Source: Israel Defense Forces; Worthy News background reporting

• Israeli forces destroyed four Hamas weapons depots containing rifles, RPGs, grenades and explosive devices.
• The IDF killed Hamas sniper battalion commander Omar Ahmed Abu Qasem in central Gaza.
• Israel accused Hamas operatives of rebuilding military capabilities and planning attacks in violation of the ceasefire.

Israeli military says Hamas continued rebuilding its terrorist capabilities in violation of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) destroyed four Hamas weapons storage facilities in central Gaza overnight and eliminated a senior terrorist commander accused of directing attacks against Israeli troops, the Israeli military announced Thursday.

The targeted storage sites contained Kalashnikov rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, hand grenades, explosive devices and other military equipment, according to the IDF.

Israeli intelligence indicated that Hamas intended to use the weapons against soldiers deployed near the ceasefire line and against Israeli civilians.

The military said the facilities were dismantled “in order to remove the threat.”

Before conducting the strikes, the IDF said it took precautions intended to reduce the risk to noncombatants, including issuing advance warnings, conducting aerial surveillance and using precision-guided munitions.

In a separate operation Wednesday, Israeli forces killed Omar Ahmed Abu Qasem, identified by the IDF as the commander of a Hamas sniper battalion.

The military said Abu Qasem participated in terrorist attacks against Israeli troops throughout the Gaza war. More recently, he allegedly helped Hamas rebuild its military infrastructure and planned additional attacks against IDF forces in violation of the ceasefire agreement.

“Throughout the war, Abu Qasem took part in carrying out terror attacks against IDF troops in the Gaza Strip,” the military said.

The IDF remains deployed inside portions of the Gaza Strip under the terms of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025. Israeli forces have continued conducting targeted operations against what the military describes as immediate threats.

The truce ended two years of warfare that began after Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Approximately 1,200 people were killed, most of them civilians, and 251 people were abducted into Gaza.

Israel has repeatedly warned that it will act against Hamas efforts to rearm, reorganize or prepare new attacks, even while the broader ceasefire remains in effect.

Christians are praying that the dismantling of Hamas will bring an end to the fear and intimidation that have long burdened Gaza’s small Christian community. Since seizing control of the enclave in 2007, the Islamist terrorist organization has fostered an atmosphere in which believers have faced pressure, insecurity and little freedom to proclaim their faith openly.

The removal of Hamas could create space for greater religious liberty, humanitarian access and the rebuilding of Christian institutions damaged or weakened through years of conflict. Believers hope Gaza will no longer be ruled by an ideology that glorifies violence and suppresses those who refuse to conform.

Above all, Christians are praying that a door will open for the Gospel to go forth in Gaza with power and compassion. Amid the ruins of war, they believe the Lord can bring healing, reconciliation and a spiritual harvest among people who have endured generations of hatred and suffering.

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