Hamas Commander Involved in Holding 7 Hostages Eliminated in Gaza

The Israeli military announced Thursday that Mahmoud Abdel Fattah Awad, a commander in Hamas's military wing involved in holding seven Israeli hostages, was killed in a targeted airstrike in Gaza City late last week. The hostages included Daniela Gilboa, Karina Ariev, Naama Levy, Doron Steinbrecher, Ziv Berman, Omri Miran, and Eitan Mor.

Ziv Berman, a hostage survivor who was held by Awad, celebrated the elimination on Instagram, referring to the Hamas operative as 'The Fool.' He wrote, "This is the terrorist we called 'The Fool.' Out of all those nuclear scientists there in Gaza, he beat them all. Every dog gets its day. Long live the people of Israel!" Eitan Mor also shared his experience, stating, "He was eliminated. He guarded me for almost half a year underground. Also Ziv Berman and Omri Miran."

While the IDF did not specify if all seven hostages were held together or at what stage of the war, the connection reveals Hamas's tunnel network used to detain various groups of hostages. Some of the women, Gilboa, Ariev, and Steinbrecher, were featured in a propaganda video released by Hamas in January 2024.

The IDF stated that Awad was eliminated because he continued to advance attacks and rebuild Hamas's terror infrastructure in the Strip, in blatant violation of the ceasefire. Beyond his role in holding and concealing hostages in tunnels, Awad posed an immediate operational threat, promoting terror plans against Israeli security forces and civilians and leading efforts to restore Hamas's military capabilities.