IDF kills Hamas militants tied to Oct 7 attacks and hostages in Gaza

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet carried out a series of air and ground strikes in Gaza, eliminating several Hamas operatives who took part in the Oct 7 massacre and in holding Israeli hostages. Among those killed were Mohammed Fatir, a commander of the Nukhba unit of the Gaza Forces, Abdullah Adnan Taha Abu Al‑Tayef, also a Nukhba commander, and Jalal Zebih, a senior Hamas battalion leader. The operations also destroyed five Hamas weapons depots containing rockets, explosives and other military equipment.

The IDF said the targeted militants had recently attempted to plan new terrorist attacks against Israeli forces and civilians, prompting the strikes to remove the threat. The actions were part of the ongoing “Doors of the Sky” campaign aimed at degrading Hamas’s command structure and its capacity to hold hostages, including individuals such as Rumi Gonen and Rom Bersen.