The Israeli military says it has killed Mahmoud Abd al-Fattah Awad, a commander in Hamas’ military wing, in a strike in the Gaza City area over the weekend.

Axar.az reports, citing the IDF, that Awad was involved during the war in holding seven Israeli hostages in an underground tunnel in the Gaza City area.

According to the IDF, Awad had recently planned and advanced attacks against Israeli troops and civilians and worked to restore Hamas’ operational capabilities, which the military said constituted a violation of the ceasefire.

The IDF said the commander was killed in an airstrike to remove the threat he posed. It added that measures were taken beforehand to reduce the risk to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance.