IDF Kills Yahya Sinwar Bodyguard Involved in Oct. 7 Attack
Israeli forces killed several senior Hamas operatives this week, including a former bodyguard to Yahya Sinwar, as officials vow to continue hunting October 7 massacre participants.
The Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli Security Agency Shin Bet announced Thursday they killed Razek Sahil Suleiman Abu Shahma, identified as a Nukhba Force terrorist who served as a bodyguard to late Hamas leader Sinwar, in a strike near Khan Yunis on Monday. According to the joint statement reported by New York Post, Abu Shahma participated in the October 7, 2023, infiltration and assault on the IDF’s Re’im base.
A separate Khan Yunis strike on Sunday eliminated Hazem Mousa, another Nukhba terrorist confirmed to have taken part in the same base attack during the massacre, military sources said.
Israeli security officials stated both operatives had been actively planning new attacks against Israeli military personnel and civilians while working to restore Hamas’s combat infrastructure in direct violation of ceasefire terms.
Central Gaza Operations Continue
The IDF confirmed Monday it had targeted two additional Hamas terrorists in central Gaza involved in the October 7 attacks, verifying that Nukhba Force member Mohammad Abu Asaad was killed in Deir al-Balah. Military intelligence indicated these operatives were similarly engaged in attack planning and capability reconstruction efforts.
On the same day, Israeli forces struck five Hamas weapons storage facilities and one launch site throughout Gaza, including locations embedded within mosques and positioned near civilian humanitarian infrastructure.
Weapons Concealment and Disarmament Violations
Following the discovery of dozens of Kalashnikov rifles concealed inside Gaza mosques, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter condemned Hamas for failing to honor disarmament commitments. This is not disarmament, Leiter stated.
Israel has also responded forcefully to renewed incendiary kite launches from Gaza. Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Monday that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered the IDF to implement a zero-tolerance policy regarding kites and balloons launched from Gaza toward Negev communities.
Netanyahu and Katz issued explicit warnings that continued launches would trigger intensified strikes against those responsible and mandatory evacuations from areas being used as launch zones.
Long-Term Campaign Against Terror Infrastructure
The military actions coincide with a visit to the Gaza Strip on Tuesday by IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, who pledged Israel would prevent Hamas from reconstituting its capabilities and maintain its pursuit of all October 7 perpetrators.
Zamir emphasized that Israel has fundamentally abandoned pre-October 6 security doctrines. He declared that every individual who participated in the massacre would remain fugitives until eliminated, characterizing this as an enduring operational commitment.
The IDF chief described the campaign as a long-term mission focused on Gaza Strip demilitarization and the complete disarmament of Hamas.
With information from New York Post
