IDF kills Hamas commander who held Oct. 7 hostages

The IDF and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) said that in recent months he worked to rebuild Hamas’ military capabilities by training terrorists and producing and distributing weapons.

By JNS

Israeli forces on Saturday killed a senior Hamas commander in Gaza City who directed terrorists during the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre and held multiple hostages, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Adham Ibrahim Sha’aban Nasman was described by the Israeli military as head of the operations department of Hamas’s Gaza City Brigade and a former Nukhba battalion commander who oversaw the infiltration of terrorists into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Nasman also helped guard Israelis kidnapped to Gaza on Oct. 7, including Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, Ziv and Gali Berman, Eitan Mor, Matan Angrest and Omri Miran, according to the IDF.

Nasman had served as Hamas’s Gaza City Brigade intelligence officer and commander of the Al-Shati Battalion, roles in which he helped plan and carry out terrorist attacks against Israeli troops and targets inside Israel.

The IDF and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) said that in recent months he worked to rebuild Hamas’ military capabilities by training terrorists and producing and distributing weapons for the brigade’s battalions, in violation of the ceasefire agreement.

Nova festival terrorist eliminated

On Monday, Israeli forces killed two Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists in separate strikes in the Gaza Strip, including one involved in the Oct. 7 massacre, according to the IDF.

A Friday strike in central Gaza killed Taher Ahmad Salem Abd al-Wahed, who according to the IDF infiltrated the Nova music festival on Oct. 7 and directed the abduction of Inbar Haiman.

🔴ELIMINATED: Taher Ahmad Salem Abd al-Wahed, a terrorist in the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization. On October 7, he infiltrated the Nova music festival and commanded the abduction of Inbar Haiman.

In another strike, Salah Subhi Salah Qatrawi, an Islamic Jihad terrorist was… pic.twitter.com/ZqHDjZS6nj

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 20, 2026

In a separate strike on Friday, the military said it killed Salah Subhi Salah Qatrawi, an Islamic Jihad terrorist who attempted to carry out attacks against Israeli troops near humanitarian aid distribution sites in southern Gaza.

Qatrawi operated while “exploiting” humanitarian efforts and endangering civilians, said the IDF.

Both men had recently been involved in efforts to carry out imminent attacks against Israeli troops and civilians, according to the military.