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1st LD Writethru: Israeli military claims killing of Hamas operations headquarters commander in Gaza

Xinhua
| May 17, 2026
2026-05-17

JERUSALEM, May 17 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military said on Sunday it had killed Bahaa Baroud, a commander in Hamas' operations headquarters, in the Gaza Strip.

Baroud was killed in an airstrike on Saturday, the military said, adding that he had helped plan "numerous" attacks against Israeli troops and civilians.

Israeli troops remain on the ground in large areas of Gaza, where Israel continues to carry out attacks despite a ceasefire. More than 72,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, according to Gaza's health authorities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that Israeli forces control about 60 percent of the enclave, up from about 50 percent when the ceasefire was announced in October 2025. Enditem

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