IDF Kills Hamas Terrorist Responsible for Murder of MK's Husband

Israeli security forces eliminated a senior Hamas operative, Farah Hamed, in an airstrike in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Hamed, a member of Hamas's military wing and formerly a senior figure in the organization's "West Bank Headquarters" infrastructure, was targeted in a joint operation involving the Shin Bet, the IDF, and the Gideonim Unit 33 of Lahav 433.

According to a joint statement from the police, IDF, and Shin Bet, Hamed was involved in advancing terror plots in the West Bank and was a member of the "Silwad" cell. He participated in several significant attacks in the Benjamin region, resulting in the deaths and injuries of Israeli civilians. Notably, Hamed was implicated in the October 2003 shooting attack at Ein Yabrud, which claimed the lives of three IDF soldiers: Sergeant Elad Pollak, Sergeant Roi Yaakov Solomon, and First Sergeant Erez Idan.

His past attacks also include the November 2002 shooting near the Rimmonim junction, where civilian Esther Galia Attia was murdered; the June 2003 shooting on Route 60, which killed civilian Tzvi (Howard) Goldstein; and the August 2003 shooting on the Alon road in Samaria, where civilian Shalom Har-Melech, the husband of Knesset Member Limor Son Har-Melech, was killed.

Hamed had been arrested previously and was released to the Gaza Strip in 2011 as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal. Following his release, he continued his activities within Hamas's military wing, recruiting terrorists and directing terror operations in the West Bank. During the recent war, Hamed also participated in combat against IDF forces in Gaza.

The IDF stated that measures were taken before the strike to minimize civilian harm, including the use of precision munitions and aerial surveillance. The security forces affirmed their continued commitment to acting against terror elements and threats to Israeli citizens and security personnel.