The Israel Defense Forces on Friday confirmed eliminating the head of the counterintelligence directorate of Hamas in the north of the Gaza Strip.

He was identified as Amjad Muhammad Hassan Shaer.

The IDF wrote on X: "Amjad Muhammad Hassan Shaer, Head of the Counterintelligence Directorate in Hamas’ General Security Apparatus, was eliminated by the IDF earlier this week."

"The Counterintelligence Directorate suppresses opposition to Hamas’ rule, thwarts espionage, and secures Hamas senior officials & assets in and outside of Gaza.," the X post said.

"The directorate is a vital part of Hamas’ General Security Apparatus, which builds an intelligence assessment that assists senior Hamas officials in decision-making and executing terror attacks against Israel," the statement said.

'Deteriorating' condition in Gaza

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has again sounded the alarm over the catastrophic and rapidly deteriorating conditions in the Gaza Strip as Israeli military operations continue to cause death, displacement and destruction. 

In an update on Friday, OCHA said that the starvation crisis is deepening across the enclave, with the local health authorities announcing that two more people had died from starvation the previous day.

Hunger and malnutrition increase the risk of illnesses that weaken the immune system, particularly among women, children, older people and persons with disabilities or chronic diseases, with deadly consequences.

Food scarcity also impacts pregnant and breastfeeding women, increasing the risk of their babies being born with health complications and affecting mothers’ ability to breastfeed.

Aid constrictions

The small trickle of supplies making it into the Strip is nowhere near adequate to address the immense needs as Israeli authorities continue to impose constraints on humanitarians and hamper their response.

Out of 15 attempts to coordinate humanitarian movements inside Gaza on Thursday, four were outright denied, three were impeded, one was postponed and two others had to be cancelled by the organisers, with only five missions facilitated.

Even though the limited amount of fuel received yesterday was fully allocated to community kitchens, healthcare and water and sanitation facilities, the fuel shortage continues as the quantities entering Gaza remain insufficient to maintain essential facilities.