JERUSALEM (VINnews)-The Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency have eliminated a senior Islamic Jihad terrorist who commanded a cell that infiltrated Israel during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre and participated in holding hostages throughout the war, the military said Tuesday.

Talal Jaber Mohammad Abd al-Aal was killed in a strike two days earlier in the southern Gaza Strip, according to a joint IDF-ISA announcement. He held multiple positions in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization.

Abd al-Aal commanded a terrorist cell that entered Israeli territory during the Hamas-led Oct. 7 assault and was involved in hostage-taking operations by Islamic Jihad in the southern Gaza Strip for the duration of the war, the statement said.

“Prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance,” the IDF said.

IDF troops under the Southern Command remain deployed in the area in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threats, the military added.

The elimination comes as Israeli forces maintain operations against remaining terror infrastructure and threats in Gaza amid the ongoing ceasefire.