The IDF announced that Muhammad Issam Hassan al-Habil, a Hamas commander accused of killing Corporal Noa Marciano while she was held captive after her Oct. 7 abduction, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza City’s Shati refugee camp. The strike followed an overnight Hamas attack that wounded Israeli troops and was described by the IDF as a ceasefire violation. Other militants, including Bilal Abu Assi and Ali Raziana, were also reported killed. The IDF said the operation brings partial closure to Marciano’s family and vowed to continue targeting those responsible for the Oct. 7 attacks.
Hamas Commander Accused Of Killing Corporal Noa Marciano Killed In Gaza Airstrike
The bodies of Noa Marciano (pictured) and Yehudit Weiss were discovered by the IDF in the vicinity of Shifa hospital last year.(Fox News)
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Wednesday that Muhammad Issam Hassan al-Habil, a Hamas militant the military says was responsible for the murder of Corporal Noa Marciano while she was held captive in Gaza, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City.
Strike Followed Overnight Attack, IDF Says
The IDF said the strike — carried out together with the Israeli Security Agency (ISA) — targeted a group of militants after an overnight attack by Hamas that wounded Israeli troops in northern Gaza and was described by the military as a violation of the ceasefire. According to IDF statements, the operation aimed to neutralize those directly involved in attacks on Israeli forces and civilians.
Al-Habil Linked To Marciano's Death
The IDF and ISA said that ISA questioning determined al-Habil had brutally killed Corporal Noa Marciano, who had been abducted from the Nahal Oz outpost during Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault. Marciano, 19, was reportedly wounded while in Hamas custody on Nov. 9, 2023, and later taken to Shifa Hospital. Hamas earlier claimed she died in an Israeli strike; her remains were recovered by Israeli forces in November 2023 and returned to Israel for burial in Modi'in.
Noa Marciano, 19, was abducted from Nahal Oz outpost during Oct. 7 massacre and later murdered at Shifa Hospital.
"There is no real comfort in this. But there is knowledge that justice was done, even if only partially. Nothing will bring Noa back to us," Marciano's mother, Adi Marciano, said after the IDF announced al-Habil's death, according to The Times of Israel.
Other Militants Killed, Military Response Continues
The IDF said the operation also killed other militants, including Bilal Abu Assi — described by the military as a Nukhba platoon commander believed to have led the Oct. 7 massacre at Kibbutz Nir Ozon and to have been involved in holding deceased hostages — and Ali Raziana, identified as a commander in the Northern Gaza Brigade of Islamic Jihad.
Israeli forces reported multiple security incidents overnight. Around 1 a.m., militants opened fire on IDF troops in the Daraj/Tuffah area, severely wounding a reserve officer; additional strikes were carried out in response. In a separate engagement, suspects observed approaching the yellow line in southern Khan Younis were deemed a threat and engaged by IDF forces, the military said.
The IDF said the elimination of al-Habil "brings closure for the Marciano family, and to the IDF and ISA," and reiterated that it will continue to pursue individuals involved in the Oct. 7 attacks and any attempts to target Israeli forces or civilians.
Sources: IDF statements, ISA reports, The Times of Israel.
Help us improve.
