Israeli forces kill Palestinian commander tied to Oct. 7 hostage-taking

Israeli forces killed Mahmoud Fatair, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad Nukhba commander who infiltrated Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and participated in holding former hostage Rom Braslavski captive in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces said Monday. Fatair was struck over the weekend in the Deir al-Balah area of central Gaza after recently attempting to advance attacks against Israeli troops and civilians, the military said. Precautions were taken to reduce civilian harm, including precision munitions and aerial surveillance. Fatair was photographed in an Islamic Jihad uniform during a November 2023 hostage handover ceremony. Separately, the IDF announced it eliminated Hamas Nukhba commander Abdallah Adnan Taha Abu al-Tayf in a Sunday airstrike in Deir al-Balah, and Hamas commander Jalal Tsubeih in Gaza City's Shati area. The military also killed Hamas commander Salem Jamal Abd al-Rahman Abu Labad, who infiltrated Kibbutz Nir Oz, in a Saturday strike in southern Gaza.