Hamas officer who oversaw October 7 massacre, held Israelis captive, surrenders

Two Hamas officers surrender to IDF, including a terrorist who led a Hamas force which took part in the massacres of October 7th, 2023.

By World Israel News Staff

Two Hamas officers surrendered to Israeli forces in the southern Gaza Strip recently, an Israeli military spokesperson announced Tuesday.

According to the IDF, several weeks ago, during an operation by the 188th Brigade under the command of the 36th Division in the Shaboura neighborhood of Rafah, a Hamas platoon commander and high-ranking Hamas sniper surrendered to IDF troops.

The two terrorists were armed with several knives at the time of their capture.

The platoon commander, identified as Yousef Qadi, had infiltrated into Israeli territory and participated in the massacres of October 7th, 2023.

Qadi was also responsible for holding several Israeli hostages in captivity in the Gaza Strip.

During their interrogation by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), intelligence was obtained regarding the location of a significant terrorist infrastructure in the area.

A few weeks ago, IDF forces completed the encirclement of Rafah, with IDF operations in the region continuing and expected to expand to additional centers and neighborhoods.

So far, troops from the 188th Brigade Combat Team, under the 36th Division, have located and destroyed dozens of weapons and terrorist infrastructure, and have eliminated dozens of terrorists.

Also on Tuesday, IDF chief Eyal Zamir and outgoing Shin Bet director Ronen Bar hammered out plans for the upcoming Operation Gideon’s Chariots, an IDF spokesperson said.

The two met with members of the army’s General Staff to approve plans for the implementation of the new operation, which received backing Monday morning from the Security Cabinet.

The new operation will include the takeover of the Gaza Strip, including the capture and holding of territory over the long-term, as well as the evacuation of Gaza’s civilian population from the north and center of the Strip to the south.