IDF strikes Islamic Jihad leader released in Gilad Schalit deal

Wael Abu-Fanounah was originally arrested in Israel on December 12, 1989, and was sentenced to three life sentences for his terrorist activities.

Deputy Head of Propaganda for terror organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad Wael Makin Abdallah Abu-Fanounah was targeted and killed by the IDF in an airstrike on Thursday, the military announced on Friday in a joint statement with the Israel Security Service (Shin Bet.)

Fanounah was originally arrested in Israel on December 12, 1989, and was sentenced to three life sentences for his terrorist activities, but was released in 2011 as part of the Gilad Schalit prisoner deal.

Fanounah then served as deputy to Khalil al-Hayya, the Northern Gaza Strip Commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Since 2017, before assuming his role as deputy head of the organization’s Propaganda Unit, Fanounah was responsible for producing terror videos related to rocket attacks on Israeli territory and creating and disseminating documentation of Israeli captives as part of the psychological warfare conducted by terror groups in Gaza against Israeli residents.

IDF continues battling in Gaza

IDF troops are continuing to operate within Gaza, coordinating with the Israeli Air Force to conduct precise strikes based on the information received from the ground.

Soldiers from the 179th Armored Brigade “Ram” came under fire from terrorists armed with RPGs in central Gaza on Thursday. Subsequently, the soldiers scanned the area and the structure where the terrorists were operating, discovering RPG launchers, Kalashnikov rifles, and military equipment.

In the northern sector of Gaza, the 5th “Sharon” (Reserve) Infantry Brigade neutralized several armed terrorists involved in recent attacks on IDF troops there. The soldiers attacked and killed the militants with the assistance of tank fire and aerial support from the Air Force.