🎯 Gaza: Hamas commanders and financing targeted: The IDF reported eliminating Hamas military-wing commander Mahmoud Abd al-Fattah Awad in a weekend airstrike near Gaza City. It said he was involved during the war in holding seven Israeli civilian hostages in an underground tunnel: Daniella Gilboa, Karina Ariev, Doron Steinbrecher, Naama Levy, Ziv Berman, Omri Miran and Eitan Mor.
The IDF and Shin Bet also reported eliminating Muhammad Abu Alwan, head of Hamas’ Finance Department, in an airstrike near Khan Younis the day before their announcement. They said he had been active for a decade, budgeted all Hamas branches and played a central role in sustaining its rule. Their detailed statement said he directed transfers exceeding NIS 1 billion during the war to finance terrorist activities. A separate account of the announcement put the amount at over $1 billion, leaving a discrepancy between the accounts.
The military said both men had recently worked to restore Hamas’ capabilities in systematic violation of the ceasefire, and that Awad also planned and advanced attacks against troops and Israeli civilians. It said the strikes removed the threats they posed. The IDF and Shin Bet said their broader effort to disrupt Hamas financing and prevent its military recovery includes targeting terrorists, money changers and facilitators involved in transferring hundreds of millions of dollars.
🌐 Iran: Chinese supplies, maritime warning and aviation restrictions: Iranian customs data show around 1,300 shipments of Chinese dual-use components to Iran’s Defense Ministry through June of the reporting year, according to The Wall Street Journal. Electronics, motors, GPS equipment and aircraft parts usable in drones and missiles were among the deliveries, which accelerated after the U.S. blockade of Iranian sea trade as sanctioned airline Mahan Air sharply increased cargo flights from China. Chinese companies also supplied chemicals used in ballistic-missile production.
The report said the U.S. has sanctioned Chinese and Hong Kong entities accused of helping Iran obtain weapons and military technology, while the Trump administration has largely avoided confronting Beijing directly. Trump has expressed trust in Xi Jinping and questioned the extent of Chinese assistance; U.S. officials have played down that support ahead of their summit. China denies improperly supporting Iran’s war effort, saying it follows international rules, regulates dual-use exports and opposes unilateral U.S. sanctions.
In a separate warning, Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, said a new U.S. escalation could open a second front at Bab el-Mandeb alongside Hormuz, and that linking the two chokepoints would change the battlefield.
Iran’s Civil Aviation Authority meanwhile said all Iranian-airline flights to the UAE had been canceled from midnight, according to ISNA. It also clarified that Turkmenistan, not Azerbaijan as initially reported, had denied airspace access to a Varesh Airlines flight from Tehran to Dushanbe. The flight was canceled and returned to Imam Khomeini International Airport.
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