JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency announced Sunday that they eliminated a Nukhba platoon commander in Hamas’ military wing during an airstrike in the Khan Younis area of the southern Gaza Strip last week.

Hisham Jamal Muhammad Abu Ghala was among the leaders of the raid on the Kissufim military outpost and took part in abducting Israelis during the October 7, 2023, massacre, according to the joint statement.

Israeli officials said Abu Ghala had recently advanced attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians while working to restore Hamas capabilities, actions described as systematic violations of the ceasefire. He was eliminated in an aerial strike to remove the threat he posed.

Steps were taken before the strike to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance, the announcement stated.

Security forces under the Southern Command remain deployed in the area in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue operations to remove any immediate threat.

The Kissufim area was among the sites targeted in the October 7 assault, when roughly 150 Nukhba operatives infiltrated the region. An IDF probe released in 2025 found that the fighting resulted in the deaths of 27 soldiers, 10 kibbutz civilians, six Thai workers and one member of the local volunteer security forces, with additional casualties from wounds and one abduction. One Israeli civilian was also killed by friendly fire.

The U.S.-brokered ceasefire that took effect about a year ago has allowed for continued targeted Israeli strikes against operatives assessed as posing threats or violating its terms by rebuilding militant capabilities.