Israeli Defense Forces troops killed a Palestinian terror operative who crossed the Gaza ceasefire line in northern Gaza earlier today, February 21, 2026, after he approached soldiers posing an immediate threat, the IDF stated in an announcement between 11:45 AM and 12:45 PM UTC. According to the IDF as reported by @manniefabian on X, the operative breached the Yellow Line and advanced toward Gaza Division's Northern Brigade soldiers in a threatening manner. Troops eliminated him to remove the threat, the military confirmed during this 59-minute reporting window. The incident marks a violation of the Gaza ceasefire line in the Strip's north, with the IDF specifying the action occurred earlier today prior to the troops' response. This development follows unverified social media claims earlier on February 21 about Albanian presence in Gaza, as posted by @ElegantiaeArbit around 11:30 AM UTC, and prior regional airstrikes including IDF operations in Lebanon that killed Hamas and Hezbollah members.
