IDF says 2 Hamas terrorists who invaded Israel on Oct. 7 killed in separate Gaza strikes

Two Hamas terrorists who took part in the October 7 onslaught were killed this week by airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, the military announced Friday. A strike on Wednesday killed Maher Walid Omar al-Husseini, the commander of a Nukhba Force cell in Hamas’s military wing, the Israel Defense Forces said. The military said Husseini attacked the Re’im base on October 7, 2023, and recently was advancing attacks on troops and Israeli civilians, and was attempting to restore Hamas’s capabilities, “in systematic violation of the ceasefire.” Four IDF soldiers were killed and seven wounded during the Hamas-led onlslaught while battling terrorists at Re’im, which houses the Gaza Division, the regional unit responsible for the Strip and for protecting southern Israel. Another soldier who served at the base and his father were murdered at a junction just outside the military facility, which Hamas attempted to conquer but was repulsed after a lengthy fight. להסרת איום: צה"ל חיסל ראש חוליית נוח'בה שפשט למחנה רעים בטבח 7 באוקטובר Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms צה"ל תקף שלשום בדרום רצועת עזה וחיסל את המחבל מאהר וליד עמר אלחציני, ראש חוליית נוח'בה בזרוע הצבאית של ארגון הטרור חמאס. המחבל פשט למחנה רעים במהלך טבח 7 באוקטובר. בעת האחרונה המחבל קידם מתווי טרור נגד… pic.twitter.com/LtxEe87FbJ Advertisement — צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) October 16, 2026 Earlier Friday, the military said a strike it launched the day before in northern Gaza killed Mohammed Mohammed Abd al-Khalek Hala, who it identified as a Hamas commander in the terror group’s weapons production division, who invaded Israel on October 7. The military said Hala produced various weapons and advanced “the military buildup of the terror group across the Gaza Strip.” A separate strike on Thursday in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis killed Ahmad Jabrin Tawfiq Dalha, a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, according to the IDF. Both terror operatives had been advancing attacks on troops and Israeli civilians and were attempting to restore the capabilities of the two terror groups, “in systematic violation of the ceasefire,” the IDF said. צה"ל חיסל מפקד בארגון הטרור חמאס שהשתתף בטבח 7 באוקטובר ומחבל בזרוע הצבאית של ארגון הטרור גא"פ Advertisement צה"ל תקף אתמול, בצפון רצועת עזה וחיסל את מחמד מחמד עבד אלחאלק חלה, מפקד בזרוע הצבאית של ארגון הטרור חמאס. המחבל פשט לשטח מדינת ישראל במהלך טבח 7 באוקטובר. במסגרת תפקידו, המחבל שימש… pic.twitter.com/DIO9QJgvw0 — צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) October 16, 2026 The latest strikes came as the IDF in recent months has increasingly targeted terror operatives in Gaza, including numerous October 7 terrorists, saying they posed a threat to Israeli forces. According to the military, many of the recent strikes focused on Hamas operatives involved in building up the terror group’s force, as well as secret headquarters and Hamas’s civil control mechanisms in the Strip. 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Sign in to stop seeing this Most Popular 1 Settlers beat Palestinians, US journalist in West Bank attacks: ‘They kept kicking me and kicking me’ 2 Dozens of Jews meet in New York to further their vision of Jewish life without Zionism 3 Israel cites Gazan merchants angered by Hamas taxes as commercial goods stop entering Strip 4 Pillay decries US sanctions on ICC, where she is ‘confident’ Netanyahu will one day stand trial 5 Analysis 3 experts on how you’re reading election polls wrong — and why they can’t predict the result 6 In first, Netanyahu reveals he spoke with Syria’s Sharaa after 2025 strike in Damascus 7 Liberman accuses Eisenkot of seeking to form unity government with Likud: ‘He’s Gantz 2’ 8 PM says Ben Gvir can’t be defense or police minister after election, angering Otzma Yehudit read more: Israel & the Region October 7 Hamas atrocities IDF Israel Defense Forces Gaza Strip If you’d like to comment, join The Times of Israel Community. 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