The IDF and Shin Bet said Monday that they killed Sabai Zaher Abd al-Hamid Abu Hasna, a Nukhba fighter in Hamas’s military wing, in northern Gaza over the weekend. He was involved in the October 7, 2023 massacre and in holding released hostage Omer Shem Tov during his captivity.
According to the Israeli announcement, Abu Hasna also spent the war placing explosives and recently tried to advance terror attacks against IDF forces operating in the Strip. The army said he infiltrated Israeli territory during Hamas’s October 7 assault and later took part in Shem Tov’s captivity.
Abu Hasna appeared in the widely circulated footage from Shem Tov’s release ceremony, where he was seen receiving a kiss on the head from the freed hostage. The image sparked outrage in Israel, after it later emerged that the gesture had been made under duress and in the presence of Hamas militants.
In a separate strike in northern Gaza, the IDF said three armed Hamas operatives were killed after trying to carry out terror plans against Israeli troops. The military said Southern Command forces continue operating in the area in line with the agreement and will keep removing any threat to soldiers and Israeli civilians.
