The IDF on Tuesday released footage of the airstrikes which eliminated three senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists in the Gaza Strip, including the commander of the Northern District Khalil al-Bahtini, and the Secretary of the Military Council of the Islamic Jihad, Jihad Ghannam.
In the opening strike of the night-time operation, Tariq Izz al-Deen, responsible for directing terror activities in Judea and Samaria, was also killed.
The operation began at 2:00 a.m., while Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi were in a bunker in IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, accompanied by senior members of the security establishment. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was at the prime minister's residence and received ongoing updates from the military secretary.
The list of targets was approved by the security cabinet, but the ministers did not know the exact timing of the operation. The decision to carry out the operation was made last Tuesday, but it was postponed due to weather conditions and to avoid harming civilians in Gaza.