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Israel Status: IDF and Shin Bet statement; reported by Times of Israel, Ynet, Jerusalem Post

IDF and Shin Bet Say Strike Killed Hamas Commander Who Held Hostage Omer Shem Tov

By AFNS Research Desk · · 1 min read

Fishing boats in the port of Gaza City at dusk (file image)
Photo: Ramez Habboub / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)

Status: IDF and Shin Bet statement; reported by the Times of Israel, Ynet and the Jerusalem Post. The identifications below are Israel's.

The IDF and Shin Bet say a strike in Gaza City on Sunday killed Jamal Abu Saeed, whom they describe as the head of operations in Hamas's military intelligence (Times of Israel, Ynet). "During the war, Abu Saeed held Omer Shem Tov captive on behalf of Hamas," their joint statement says. Shem Tov was abducted from the Nova festival on Oct. 7, 2023, and released in February 2025 (VINnews).

Israel says Abu Saeed had overseen training of Hamas operatives outside Gaza, commanded an anti-tank battalion and handled Hamas's ties with various countries, and that he had recently been advancing attacks on troops and civilians and rebuilding Hamas's capabilities "in systematic violation of the ceasefire." The military says it used precision munitions and aerial surveillance to reduce the risk to civilians.

Six more killed near Khan Younis

In separate strikes near Khan Younis on Sunday and Monday, the IDF and Shin Bet say they killed six men they identify as four Hamas members, one Islamic Jihad member and one Army of Islam member, including a Nukhba company commander (Jerusalem Post). An early research summary placed Abu Saeed among the Khan Younis dead; the IDF statement and outlet reports place his killing in Gaza City.

Gaza's Interior Ministry says four of the men killed near Khan Younis were police officers on duty in Al-Mawasi, and Hamas accused Israel of targeting police (as relayed by Shafaq News).

Related

Sources

  1. Times of Israel: Top Hamas commander who held hostage is killed in Gaza City www.timesofisrael.com
  2. Ynet: Hamas operations chief who held Omer Shem Tov eliminated www.ynetnews.com
  3. Jerusalem Post: IDF, Shin Bet kill six in strikes near Khan Yunis www.jpost.com
  4. VINnews: IDF, Shin Bet eliminate Hamas military intelligence chief vinnews.com
  5. Shafaq News: Israel says Gaza strike kills Hamas operations chief www.shafaq.com
  6. X story summary x.com

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