IDF eliminates Hamas Nukhba commander who led Oct. 7 Kibbutz Nir Oz assault

The military says Abu Assi personally led the assault on Kibbutz Nir Oz, where dozens of civilians were murdered and abducted.

By Shmuli Volkin, Jewish Breaking News

The IDF announced that it carried out an airstrike today targeting a senior Hamas operative from the elite Nukhba Force who took part in the October 7, 2023 massacre.

According to the military, the strike was conducted in the Mawasi area of southern Gaza following an overnight attack on Israeli forces in northern Gaza, in which a reservist officer was seriously wounded by Palestinian gunmen.

The target of the operation was Bilal Abu Assi, identified by the IDF as a platoon commander in Hamas’s Nukhba Force—the unit that led the cross-border invasion into Israel on October 7.

The military says Abu Assi personally led the assault on Kibbutz Nir Oz, where dozens of civilians were murdered and abducted.

He is also believed to have played a role in holding the bodies of Israeli hostages in Gaza and in directing further attacks against Israeli troops during the war.

The IDF acknowledged reports that the strike resulted in civilian casualties, including the death of a Red Crescent medic.

The army stated that multiple precautions were taken before and during the operation to minimize harm to civilians, including the use of real-time surveillance and precision-guided munitions.

“The IDF regrets any harm caused to uninvolved civilians,” the statement added.