JERUSALEM (VINnews)-An Israeli airstrike killed a Hamas cell commander accused of brutally murdering IDF surveillance soldier Cpl. Noa Marciano while she was held captive in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces announced Wednesday.

The military identified the terrorist as Muhammad Issam Hassan al-Habil, who was targeted in Gaza City’s Shati refugee camp. The strike came in response to an overnight shooting attack by Palestinian gunmen in northern Gaza that seriously wounded a reservist officer, which the IDF described as a violation of the ceasefire agreement.

According to the Shin Bet security agency, interrogations of captured suspects revealed that al-Habil “brutally murdered” Marciano during her captivity. The operation was facilitated by intelligence gathered by the Gaza Division, the unit in which Marciano served as part of the 414th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit.

Marciano, 19, was abducted by Hamas terrorists from the Nahal Oz base during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. The IDF recovered her body in November 2023 near Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital, where she was killed in captivity, according to military findings. Hamas had previously claimed she died in an Israeli airstrike, a claim Israel rejected based on pathology reports and intelligence indicating she was murdered by her captors.

Several other Hamas operatives involved in guarding Marciano have been killed in strikes throughout the war.

The IDF said the elimination of al-Habil, who also led efforts to rehabilitate a Hamas battalion in the Shati area, provides a measure of closure for Marciano’s family and underscores Israel’s commitment to pursuing those responsible for the Oct. 7 atrocities and attacks on its forces.