The IDF announced on Tuesday that it had killed a Hamas terrorist involved in the October 7 massacre and hostage kidnappings during a targeted operation in the central Gaza Strip.

According to the military, Yousef Ayesh Awad Ramadan, deputy commander of a Hamas Nukhba terrorist cell, was eliminated in a strike carried out on Monday. The IDF said Ramadan was among the terrorists who infiltrated Israel during the October 7 attack.

Military officials stated that Ramadan participated in the abduction of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eliya Cohen, Alon Ohel, and Or Levy from the bomb shelter at the Re’im Junction during the Hamas-led assault.

The IDF said Ramadan continued to play an active role in Hamas operations throughout the war. In recent weeks, he was involved in advancing plans for attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF personnel, according to the military.

Because of his ongoing involvement in terror activities, the IDF said Ramadan posed an immediate threat to troops operating in Gaza and was therefore targeted.

The military added that a number of precautions were taken before the strike in an effort to minimize civilian casualties. Those measures included the use of precision-guided munitions and aerial surveillance to improve the accuracy of the operation.