IDF and Shin Bet Kill Two Senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad Militants in Gaza Strip

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet security service eliminated two senior militants from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the central Gaza Strip over the past weekend. One of the militants, Taher Ahmad Salem Abd Alwahad, was directly involved in the deadly surprise attack on October 7. According to the IDF, Abd Alwahad infiltrated the Nova party complex in the Israeli community of Re'im during the massacre and closely commanded the abduction of Inbar Haim, who was later killed in captivity in Gaza.

In a separate targeted strike guided by Shin Bet intelligence, the IDF killed another senior PIJ operative, Salah Zibhi Salah Qatrawi. Security investigations revealed that Qatrawi actively planned complex terror attacks against Israeli forces during the ongoing conflict, focusing on the area around the humanitarian aid distribution center (GHF) in southern Gaza. The IDF emphasized that Qatrawi’s operations recklessly endangered Gaza civilians by cynically exploiting international humanitarian efforts.

The IDF spokesperson stated that both militants had recently attempted to orchestrate immediate terror attacks targeting Israeli soldiers and civilians. The Southern Command forces remain deployed according to operational agreements and will continue acting decisively to neutralize any imminent threats to Israel’s security.