The IDF announced Sunday morning that it eliminated Salem Gamal Abd al-Rahman Abu Labad, a Hamas Nukhba cell commander who infiltrated Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7 massacre, in a precision airstrike in southern Gaza on Saturday. The military said the operation was part of ongoing efforts to remove threats from operatives still active in the strip.
The IDF confirmed on Sunday morning (Sun 08:48 Jerusalem) that it eliminated Salem Gamal Abd al-Rahman Abu Labad, a Hamas Nukhba cell commander who infiltrated Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7, 2023, massacre. The precision airstrike was carried out on Saturday in the southern Gaza Strip. The military stated that the operation was carried out in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and as part of its ongoing effort to remove threats from operatives who remain active in the area.
The Zioneer first reported the elimination at 08:48 Jerusalem this morning, based on the IDF announcement. The identification of Abu Labad as the commander was confirmed in subsequent updates. The Zioneer has previously reported on similar eliminations: on July 8, the IDF eliminated Mohammed Emad Alrahman Abu Taima, the Nukhba commander who infiltrated Kibbutz Nirim (The Zioneer, Wed Jul 8, 13:24 Jerusalem). On July 10, the IDF eliminated Yahya Saeed Mohammed Hamdan, who infiltrated the Re'im base (The Zioneer, Fri Jul 10, 13:20 Jerusalem). On June 28, the IDF eliminated Abd al-Rahman Ziyada, who looted an IDF vehicle (The Zioneer, Sun Jun 28, 10:02 Jerusalem). These operations are part of a sustained campaign to hunt down all perpetrators of the Oct. 7 massacre.
The IDF has stated that it will continue to pursue all operatives who participated in the Oct. 7 attacks, regardless of time elapsed. The elimination of Abu Labad comes amid ongoing operations in Gaza, with the military emphasizing that the strike was conducted within the framework of the ceasefire agreement. The Zioneer has covered the broader campaign against Nukhba commanders as part of Israel's commitment to bringing the perpetrators of the massacre to justice.
The IDF did not provide details on whether Abu Labad was actively planning attacks at the time of the strike. The military described the operation as a 'precise airstrike to remove the threat,' but did not specify the immediate circumstances.
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