IDF says it killed 4 Hamas operatives, including Oct. 7 terrorist, in latest Gaza strikes

Four Hamas operatives, including a terrorist who invaded Israel during the October 7 onslaught, were killed in recent strikes in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military announced Saturday. A strike on Thursday killed Mahmoud Khaled Mohammed Madhoun, identified by the IDF as a member of Hamas’s elite Nukhba Force who took part in anti-tank missile attacks on troops during the war, the Israel Defense Forces said. Separate strikes on Friday killed Ubaida Suhail Hamad Murtaja, a Hamas sniper operative, and Adham Khalil Mohammed Marouf, a Hamas terrorist who according to the IDF invaded Israel on October 7, 2023. The IDF said that another strike on Saturday in the Strip’s south killed Hamas operative Abd al-Jawad Juda. The four operatives were recently involved in advancing attacks on troops and Israeli civilians, and attempting to restore Hamas’s capabilities, “in systematic violation of the ceasefire,” the military added. 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 Saturday’s announcement came a day after the army said two other Hamas operatives in Gaza were killed in recent strikes. בתקיפות שונות ברצועת עזה: צה"ל חיסל ארבעה מחבלים מארגון הטרור חמאס, בהם מחבל שפשט לישראל בטבח 7 באוקטובר צה"ל תקף בימים האחרונים במספר מרחבים ברצועת עזה וחיסל ארבעה מחבלים מהזרוע הצבאית של ארגון הטרור חמאס: • שלשום חוסל מחמוד חאלד מחמד מדהון, מחבל נוח'בה בזרוע הצבאית של ארגון… pic.twitter.com/rgvhU8H9mi Advertisement — צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) October 17, 2026 The IDF identified Maher Walid Omar al-Husseini, the commander of a Nukhba Force cell in Hamas’s military wing who invaded Israel on October 7, and Mohammed Mohammed Abd al-Khalek Hala, a Hamas weapons production officer, as the two operatives killed. 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. Help us report truthfully on social media As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos. This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world. 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