On Friday, both Hamas and the Israeli military confirmed that a bodyguard of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in an encounter. Hamas identified the deceased as Mahmoud Hamdan, also known as 'Abu Yusuf,' who served as the commander of the Tal al-Sultan Brigade in Rafah, Gaza.
Hamas reported that Hamdan was engaged in a confrontation with the Israeli army in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood when he was killed, alongside Yahya Sinwar. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged that Hamdan, responsible for guarding Sinwar, was eliminated on Friday.
Initially, the IDF believed that Hamdan had been killed weeks ago based on intelligence assessments. However, it was later revealed that the information was insufficient, allowing Hamdan to continue his duties. The IDF stated that Hamdan was encountered and eliminated by IDF troops, approximately 200 meters away from where Sinwar was killed.
The IDF refrained from providing further details regarding the timing of Hamdan's death. The incident underscores the ongoing tensions and conflicts in the region, with both sides confirming the fatal encounter.
