Israel kills Hamas terrorist who led Oct. 7 massacre

An Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip killed a Hamas militant who led the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on a kibbutz near the Palestinian enclave that left 75 soldiers and civilians dead, Israel Defense Forces officials announced Thursday.

Haitham Razek Abd al-Karim Sheikh Khalil, commander of a Hamas terror battalion, was killed in Wednesday’s strike on a command post in Gaza City half a mile from Israeli troops.

“Several Hamas terrorists operated from within the command center in order to plan and execute terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers,” Israeli military officials said on their Telegram social media site. 

The IDF and the Israel Security Agency, commonly known as Shin Bet, said Mr. Khalil was part of Hamas’ Shejaiya Battalion that raided Nahal Oz, a kibbutz in southern Israel near the Gaza border two years ago.

“Throughout the war, he planned and executed terrorist attacks against IDF troops and operated to plant explosives and bobby-trap combat zones,” IDF officials posted on Telegram.

The officials said he assumed leadership of the Shejaiya Battalion following the death in combat of his immediate predecessor and the previous commander.

“Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance and additional intelligence,” the IDF officials said.

Israel has accused Hamas of “systematically” violating international law by “brutally exploiting” the civilian population as a human shield for its terrorism.

“The IDF and the ISA will continue to operate against Hamas to protect the State of Israel,” the IDF officials posted.