Hamas Commander Involved in Oct. 7 Terrorist Attacks ‘Eliminated,’ IDF Confirms

A picture taken in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip on Dec. 11, 2023, shows Israeli army soldiers keeping position on a hill overlooking northern Gaza, amid continuing battles between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas. Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have killed one of the Hamas commanders responsible for leading the terrorist group’s Oct. 7 assault on Israel, which saw 1,200 people massacred and over 200 taken as hostages back to the Gaza Strip.

In a Jan.1 post on X, formerly Twitter, the IDF claimed during a recent operation in Gaza, Adil Mismah, the Nukhba Company Commander of the Palestinian city Deir al-Balah, was “eliminated” in an Israeli Air Force strike.

According to the IDF, Mismah led terrorists into Israeli Kibbutz Kissufim and directed gunmen to devastate the other kibbutz communities of Nirim and Be'eri.

The IDF also said it had destroyed targets in Shejaiya, located in Gaza City at the same time as the strike on Mismah. During the “targeted raid on the terrorist organizations” command and control center, large quantities of weapons near a mosque were also recovered by ground troops.

At the same time, IDF forces also destroyed a launch post and eliminated a terrorist cell accused of attacking Israeli forces with mortar shells. Troops from the IDF also identified and killed a terrorist launching rockets in the Gazan city of Khan Yunis.

Since the beginning of the war that followed in the wake of the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel, Hamas has launched hundreds of rocket strikes at targets in Israel. The IDF has speculated that many of the faulty rocket launches could be contributing to the ongoing death toll in Gaza, which has reportedly reached over 21,000, although those numbers do come from the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry and have not been independently verified yet.

IDF Shifts Tactics for 2024

The latest strikes come on the back of news that Israel will start pulling back its forces from Gaza in the coming months as the IDF shifts focus to more targeted operations against Hamas, reducing the use of artillery and air strikes.

However, Israeli officials have warned the war will continue for the foreseeable future. In a New Year’s Eve address, IDF spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said that the war in Gaza would require continued fighting throughout 2024.

“The objectives of the war require prolonged fighting, and we are preparing accordingly,” he said.

“We are wisely planning the management of the forces operating in the field, looking at the reserve system, the economy, refreshing forces, and continuing the combat training processes in the IDF,” Rear Adm. Hagari added.

Rear Adm. Hagari also provided further details of the withdrawal of Israeli forces, revealing that some reservists would return to their families this week. The hope is returning soldiers will help ease the burden on the Israeli economy in the coming months.

“This will significantly ease the burden on the economy and allow them to gather strength for the upcoming activities in the next year, as the fighting will continue and they will still be required,” he said.

“These adaptations are designed to ensure planning and preparation for the continuation of 2024, as the IDF must plan ahead, understanding that we will be required for additional tasks and warfare throughout this year.”