The IDF and Shin Bet confirmed on Monday that a Hamas Nukhba terrorist involved in the October 7 massacre and the captivity of hostage Omer Shem Tov was eliminated in a recent strike in northern Gaza.

According to the military, Sabai Zehir Abd al-Hamid Abu Hasna, a member of Hamas’s military wing, was killed in a joint operation over the weekend. Abu Hasna participated in the October 7 invasion of southern Israel and was involved in holding Shem Tov hostage during his captivity in Gaza.

Abu Hasna gained notoriety after appearing in the widely criticized hostage release ceremony in which Omer Shem Tov was forced to kiss him on the forehead before being handed over for release. The incident sparked outrage in Israel and abroad and became one of the most recognizable images from the Hamas-orchestrated propaganda event.

The IDF said Abu Hasna spent much of the war planting explosive devices and had recently been involved in planning additional terrorist attacks against Israeli forces operating in Gaza. Another Hamas terrorist, identified as Abd al-Rahman Abu Gharqud, was also killed in the strike.

In a separate operation in northern Gaza, Israeli forces eliminated three additional armed Hamas terrorists who were attempting to carry out attacks against IDF troops.

The military said Southern Command forces remain deployed in accordance with current agreements and will continue operating to remove threats to Israeli security.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)