AN elite squad of undercover Israeli agents was last night operating in Gaza — with a hit list of Hamas terrorists to kill.
The nation’s Shin Bet internal security service unleashed the crack unit to hunt down every massacre monster hiding in the coastal strip.
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The “Nili” unit — named after a Bible verse including the phrase “Israel will live for eternity” — has already taken some terror chiefs.
They are believed to include the commander of Hamas’ Nukhba unit, Ali Qadh, who was among the leaders of the mass slaughter of 1,400 people in southern Israel, near Gaza’s border, a fortnight ago.
Another terrorist named as Billal Al Kedra — who led the attack inside the Nirim kibbutz where children were butchered — has also been traced and “neutralised”.
Nili’s shadowy assassins have been using Shin Bet intelligence to zero in on the killers.
Top of their “hit list” are Hamas military commander Muhammad Deif and massacre mastermind, political leader Yahya Sinwar.
Sinwar, 60, has been dubbed “The Face of Evil” and the “Palestinian Bin Laden”.
Around 1,000 Hamas fighters swarmed into Israel on October 7 followed by hundreds of looters and hostage-takers.
Hundreds of the savages responsible for the bloodbath have been identified by close analysis of CCTV and footage taken from the bodies of slain Hamas fighters.
The creation of the “assassins unit” suggests a lengthy campaign of stealth attacks will take place alongside the looming Israeli ground surge into Gaza.
Military experts said the Nili group operatives, disguised as civilians, have been taking their fight to the enemy using laser-guided target markers.
Once a Hamas killer’s car or hiding place are identified, they are marked for a precision strike by warplane-launched guided missiles or bombs.
Target markers can also be left in drinks cans placed under cars or close to buildings.
Lightning “shoot and scoot” hits are also believed to have wiped out other Hamas killers.
Israeli troops and armoured vehicles continued to line the Gaza border yesterday — ahead of the expected ground invasion of the 25-mile-long strip.
Israel redoubled its air and big gun blitz of Gaza yesterday — vowing to smash all Hamas lairs before launching its offensive.
More than 300 warplane and artillery munitions were fired within hours overnight after 700,000 refugees fled the war hell.
Even more intensive air attacks were ordered early yesterday targeting Hamas bunkers and bases as tens of thousands of ground troops were declared ready to go in.
But the civilian toll in Gaza continued to spiral among more than 300,000 innocents trapped in the north of the strip — as only a trickle of aid was ferried in.
At least 110 Palestinians were reported killed yesterday as Gaza authorities claimed the attack toll had risen to 4,651 dead — including 1,873 children — plus 14,245 injured.
Israel’s Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said: “We will deepen our attacks to minimise the dangers to our forces in the next stages of the war. We are going to increase the attacks.”
Israel yesterday ordered 14 more communities in Gaza to be evacuated as its blitz intensified after 700,000 people moved south.
But many Hamas commanders remained in bunkers beneath the homes of “human shield” civilians.
Fears of a widening regional conflict — which could suck in world powers — also grew after US-backed Israel’s missiles struck Damascus and Aleppo airports in Russian-backed Syria.
Israel has hit the airports several times this year to thwart arms shipments from Iran to Hamas and its Hezbollah allies in Lebanon.
Sporadic clashes continued yesterday across Israel’s northern border with Israeli and Hezbollah forces locked in rocket and artillery skirmishes.
An Israel Defence Forces’ tank accidentally attacked an Egyptian position near the Kerem Shalom area last night.
An Israeli military spokesman said the IDF regretted the incident.
Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu said the war in Gaza is “do or die” for his country as he addressed troops on the border with Lebanon.
He also issued a fierce warning to Hezbollah.
He said starting a war against Israel would bring counter-strikes of “unimaginable” magnitude that would wreak “devastation” upon Lebanon.
In an official transcript of a briefing, he said: “I cannot tell you right now if Hezbollah will decide to enter the (Gaza) war fully.” But he added such a move would be the “mistake of (Hezbollah’s) life”.
Bullish Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said: “Nothing will stop the IDF.
“This should be our last manoeuvring operation in Gaza, for the simple reason that afterwards there will be no more Hamas.
“It may take a month, two or three, but at the end there will be no more Hamas.”
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Nick Parker
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