IDF Kills Hamas Terrorist Involved in Kidnapping of Colonel Asaf Hamami in Gaza

Nearly three years after the October 7 terror attack, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the killing of Hamas operative Hassam Shaafi in southern Gaza. Shaafi was part of the Hamas military wing's East Khan Younis Battalion and took part in the abduction of Colonel Asaf Hamami, commander of the Southern Brigade in the Gaza Division, along with his command post soldiers Sergeant Tomer Ahimas and Corporal Kirill Brodsky, who were killed defending Kibbutz Nirim during the attack.

The IDF described Shaafi's elimination as a significant "closing of the circle," achieved through extensive intelligence gathering and precision strikes coordinated by the Gaza Division's fire control center. Shaafi had continued to plan terror attacks and posed an ongoing threat to IDF forces operating in Gaza throughout the conflict. The target's identification motivated the troops, with the Gaza Division's target coordinator stating that confirming Shaafi's involvement in Hamami's kidnapping intensified their resolve to complete the mission.

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Yehonatan Lazar, who served as Hamami's command post commander and fought alongside him, expressed the emotional weight of the operation. Lazar recalled the prolonged search for Hamami's remains in Khan Younis and said, "After they recently returned him, now the circle is truly closed." He praised Hamami as a revered and dedicated leader who cared deeply for his soldiers.

The IDF emphasized that efforts continue to locate and neutralize all members of the Hamas cell responsible for the Nirim attack. Lazar noted that the legacy of Hamami endures among his troops, who remain committed to defending Israel, now operating in Lebanon after two years in Gaza. The operation reflects ongoing IDF efforts to dismantle terrorist threats in the region.