Palestinian reports: Senior Hamas official assassinated in Gaza a few days ago

Fursan Khalifa from the Nour al-Shams refugee camp, released from prison in Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal, was in charge of the northern West Bank headquarters. Additionally, the Hamas spokesperson for Jerusalem affairs was eliminated

Fursan Khalifa, from the Nur al-Shams refugee camp near Tulkarem, and one of the heads of Hamas' West Bank headquarters established by the deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, Saleh al-Arouri, was eliminated a few days ago inside the Gaza Strip. This was reported Saturday evening in the Palestinian media.

Inside Hamas headquarters, Khalifa was responsible for the northern West Bank. The goals of the headquarters were to establish cells of the military wing of Hamas in the West Bank and to carry out attacks. Khalifa was held in Israeli prison since the Second Intifada in 2003 until his release in the Shalit exchange deal in 2011.

In addition, Palestinian media reported that the Hamas spokesperson for Jerusalem affairs, Mohammad Hamadeh, was eliminated during an airstrike by the Israeli Air Force in recent days in the Gaza Strip. On Friday at 7 a.m., a temporary ceasefire took effect between Israel and Hamas for four days in Gaza, with the goal of implementing the hostage exchange deal. As part of the deal, 50 kidnapped individuals held in Gaza will be released gradually in exchange for terrorists serving prison sentences and the entry of humanitarian aid, including fuel, into the Strip.

Written by KAN 11 correspondents Omer Shahar, Gal Sadeh and Elior Levy.