IDF and Shin Bet kill PIJ commander who abducted Yagel Yaakov on October 7

The IDF and Shin Bet eliminated a Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander in the southern Gaza Strip who participated in the abduction of Yagel Yaakov from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, the military said Sunday. The target, Zaki Yosef Mahmoud Abu Mustafa, was a Nukhba commander in the PIJ's Khan Younis brigade. A Hamas Nukhba operative was also killed in a separate strike.

The IDF and Shin Bet confirmed Sunday evening that they eliminated a senior Islamic Jihad commander who participated in the abduction of then-16-year-old Yigil Yaakov from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023. The target, Zaki Yosef Mahmoud Abu Mustafa, was a Nukhba commander in the PIJ's Khan Younis brigade.

According to the joint military and security service statement, the strike took place on Friday in the southern Gaza Strip. Abu Mustafa had been active in recent months rebuilding the terror group's capabilities in violation of the ceasefire, the IDF said. He also advanced attack plots against Israeli forces and attempted to conduct training for operatives inside Nasser Hospital, according to the military.

In a separate strike on the same day, the IDF killed Muhammad Osama Abdelaziz Saba al-Aish, a Hamas Nukhba operative who was working to train and recruit operatives for the terror organization, the military said.

The elimination was initially reported Saturday by Arab media, which named the target as Zaki Abu Mustafa, a PIJ commander. The military confirmed the strike and the affiliation Sunday evening. The previous day, the IDF had described Abu Mustafa only as a "terrorist" without specifying his group. The official statement from the IDF and Shin Bet identifies him as a PIJ commander, consistent with the earlier Arab reports.

As The Zioneer reported, hundreds attended Abu Mustafa's funeral in Khan Younis on Saturday evening.

8 developments

1. 3 hours ago · 21:17 · 21 JunLatest

   Official IDF confirmation of the elimination of commander Zaki Abu Mustafa

2. 21:12 · 21 Jun

   Military statement attributes the eliminated terrorist to Hamas rather than Islamic Jihad.

3. 21:10 · 21 Jun

   Identifies the eliminated commander as a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad

• Developing12:27 · 7 JunIDF eliminates senior Hamas commander involved in October 7 infiltration at Kisufim
• Developingyesterday · 19:24 · 20 JunHundreds attend funeral of PIJ commander Zaki Abu Mustafa in Khan Younis
• Developing22:43 · 13 JunIDF drone strike kills Hamas battalion commander in Khan Younis, second operative
• Strong18:00 · 12 JunIDF eliminates senior Hamas and Islamic Jihad commanders planning imminent attacks in Gaza

Source and signal

• Internal intake