IDF and Shin Bet destroy Hamas arms caches hidden in Gaza mosques and aid sites

On Monday, the Israel Defense Forces, together with the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet), executed a series of strikes that dismantled five Hamas weapon storage facilities and a launch site throughout the Gaza Strip. The seized stockpiles included rockets, grenades, ammunition and other combat equipment, many of which had been hidden inside mosques and alongside humanitarian infrastructure, a practice the IDF described as violating international law.

Military officials asserted that civilians received advance warnings and that the attacks employed precise munitions and aerial surveillance to limit collateral damage. Under the cease-fire framework established on October 10, 2025, the IDF’s Southern Command continues to operate in the area to remove any immediate threats. Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter publicly rebuked Hamas for concealing weapons in religious sites, citing recent discoveries of Kalashnikov rifles. The IDF also reported killing a Hamas Nukhba Force member, Mohammad Abu Asaad, in the Deir al-Balah region, linking the operation to ongoing efforts to thwart planned attacks against Israeli forces and civilians.