Israeli forces announced on Sunday that they had killed two senior operatives from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in a precision strike last week in southern Gaza, accusing them of managing a financial network that moved more than half a billion shekels—roughly $135 million—to the groups’ armed wings. The men, identified as Hussein Qadra and Mohammed Farra, were described by Israel’s military as central to a system that relied on dozens of couriers and currency exchanges in Turkey and the Gaza Strip, deliberately bypassing international banking oversight.

According to Israeli military statements, Qadra led the operation under direct instruction from the Hamas leadership, funnelling funds used to pay fighters’ salaries and finance attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians. The military said the transfers continued after the ceasefire began, a breach of that agreement. Separately, the Israeli military’s English-language account highlighted that Hamas operatives in Turkey had directed numerous attacks in the West Bank and Israel over the past year, recruiting agents and smuggling weapons and money. Israeli officials presented the strike as part of a wider campaign to dismantle the financial infrastructure that sustains militant activity.

Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad did not immediately comment on the killings. Turkish authorities have not addressed the allegations of Hamas activity on their soil, though Ankara maintains that its political ties to the group are separate from any military support. Palestinian analysts in Gaza noted that financing networks are vital for Hamas under a tight blockade and economic collapse, making them a predictable military target. The ceasefire has paused major fighting but has not disrupted the clandestine funding that armed factions rely on.

The operation underscores the financial dimensions of the conflict. Israeli security sources say they have recently intercepted millions of shekels at border points intended for militant use, including NIS 12 million ($3.2 million) at the Allenby Bridge crossing. The strike follows other targeted operations, including the killing of an Al Jazeera cameraman whom Israel identified as a Hamas sniper embedded under journalistic cover—a pattern Israeli officials say shows militants exploiting civilian roles to move money and plan attacks.

Israel’s forces remain deployed in southern Gaza under the ceasefire terms, and the military says it will continue to neutralise immediate threats. No further strikes on financial operatives have been announced, but Israeli security officials indicate that efforts to sever funding channels will persist. Intelligence-driven operations targeting the economic networks of Hamas and its allies are expected to remain a focus.