IDF Confirms Killing of Hamas Commander Abd al-Hadi Sabah, Leader of October 7 Kibbutz Nir Oz Attack

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Tuesday that they had successfully eliminated Abd al-Hadi Sabah, a senior Hamas commander and leader of the October 7 attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz. Sabah was killed in a drone strike in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza, as part of a targeted operation based on intelligence gathered by the IDF and the Israeli Security Agency (ISA).

Sabah, the Nukhba Platoon commander in Hamas’ Western Khan Yunis Battalion, had led the brutal assault on Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7 massacre, which killed over 1,200 people and resulted in the kidnapping of more than 250 hostages. Many of those hostages remain in captivity, with fears that some may not survive.

In a statement, the IDF described Sabah as a key figure in the massacre, responsible for multiple terrorist attacks against Israeli troops. The IDF emphasized that their efforts would continue to target those involved in the October 7 attacks. The elimination of Sabah is seen as part of ongoing operations aimed at dismantling Hamas leadership in Gaza.

The IDF also confirmed that on the same day, Anas Muhammad Saadi Masri, commander of the northern rocket unit of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, was killed in another targeted strike. Masri had been actively directing rocket fire into Israeli territory from northern Gaza since October 7, further escalating tensions in the region.

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These operations are part of the IDF’s broader campaign to eliminate Hamas operatives, with recent efforts resulting in the death of 14 Hamas terrorists, six of whom participated in the October 7 massacre.

As the conflict continues, global concerns mount over the humanitarian toll in Gaza, where over 45,000 Palestinians have been reported killed. The ongoing conflict has also drawn in regional actors such as Houthi rebels from Yemen and Hezbollah from Lebanon, intensifying the multi-front war that Israel is now engaged in.