Israeli forces say they have killed a Hamas commander in Gaza tied to the October 7, 2023 attack, nearly three years after the massacre. The individual was identified as a commander in Hamas’s elite Nukhba unit, blamed for leading the assault that killed roughly 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel says the commander was rebuilding Hamas capabilities and planning attacks — actions it called a breach of a ceasefire in place since October 2025. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that those responsible remain targeted.
Israeli Forces Kill Hamas Nukhba Commander In Gaza Linked to Oct. 7 Massacre
FILE PHOTO - Soldiers of Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) are standing on top of tanks at the borders with Gaza, on the first day of the ceasefire implementation. (is associated with: «Israeli military: Hamas commander killed in Gaza») Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
Israeli forces say they have killed a Hamas commander in the Gaza Strip who participated in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, the military said, in an operation carried out almost exactly three years after the massacre.
The Israeli military said on the X platform that the fighter served as a commander in Hamas's elite Nukhba unit — the commando force that infiltrated Israel on October 7. The Nukhba unit is widely believed to have played a leading role in the assault.
About 1,200 people were killed and 251 hostages were taken to Gaza during the unprecedented attack. Israel then launched a broad military offensive in Gaza that, according to various reports, resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and extensive destruction across the densely populated coastal territory.
The military said the commander killed in Gaza had been preparing attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers while working to rebuild Hamas's operational capabilities, activity the army described as a breach of the ceasefire.
A ceasefire has technically been in place since October 2025, but the Israeli military says it continues to conduct strikes it describes as targeted against Hamas operatives.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned those involved in the October 7 attack: "There will be no Hamas rule in Gaza. Anyone who took part in the attack against us, anyone who held our hostages captive, is living on borrowed time. We will get them, just as we have got others. Day by day, we are settling the score with these despicable murderers."
The operation and statements underscore ongoing tensions and the fragile nature of the ceasefire. Independent verification of battlefield claims can be limited in the conflict’s fog of war; casualty figures and operational details often vary between sources.
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