Tel Aviv : The Israeli military killed Tayseer Mubasher, who commanded a Hamas battalion in Khan Younis on Wednesday, the Israeli Defence Forces announced. The IDF said Mubasher was killed in an airstrike.

Mubasher previously served as a commander in the Hamas navy and also held key positions in the terror group's munitions production system. He had extensive experience coordinating attacks on Israel and the IDF said his seniority was comparable to Mohammed Deif, the highest overall commander of Hamas forces who first joined the terror group in 1987.

Mubasher was responsible for a number of deadly attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians in including a 2002 attack on the in Gush Katif. Five students were killed and 23 were injured.
He was also linked to an infiltration attack on an Israeli beach in 2014 and attacks on several military outposts.

Separately in Samaria, the IDF launched a drone strike on terrorist gunmen in Jenin overnight Tuesday after its forces came under attack during a counterterror operation in the city, the military said.

According to Palestinian sources, at least four terrorists were killed in the strike, including a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad.