The IDF announced Thursday that a Monday airstrike in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza eliminated Ismail Ibrahim Darwish Qandil, a Hamas Nukhba operative who infiltrated Israel on October 7, 2023, and helped kill Nahal Brigade commander Col. Yonatan Steinberg. The military stated that Qandil had recently been advancing terror plots against Israeli forces and civilians and working to rebuild Hamas's operational capabilities in systematic violation of the ceasefire.
The IDF announced Thursday evening that a precision strike carried out on Monday in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza eliminated Ismail Ibrahim Darwish Qandil, a Hamas Nukhba operative. According to the military, Qandil infiltrated Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, and participated in the killing of Nahal Brigade commander Col. Yonatan Steinberg, one of the highest-ranking officers to fall that day.
The announcement — first reported by The Zioneer at 17:07 Jerusalem Thursday — identified Qandil as having recently resumed operational activity inside Gaza. The IDF said he was advancing terror plots against Israeli forces and civilians and working to restore Hamas's military capabilities, actions the military described as a systematic violation of the ceasefire.
Qandil's elimination is the latest in a series of IDF strikes against Nukhba operatives who took part in the Oct. 7 massacre and later returned to active roles under the ceasefire. As The Zioneer previously reported, similar operations have been carried out in recent months: on July 10, a Nukhba cell commander who infiltrated the Re'im base was eliminated; on August 3, a Nukhba commander who infiltrated Israel on Oct. 7 was killed in Deir al-Balah; and on August 30, a Nukhba commander was hit in a Jabaliya strike. The IDF has maintained that it will continue targeting individuals who use the pause in hostilities to rebuild terror infrastructure or plan attacks.
The IDF did not release further details on Qandil's specific activities since the ceasefire, and no immediate response from Hamas has been reported.
2 developments
- StrongIDF, Shin Bet confirm elimination of two Hamas commanders, including Oct. 7 Nukhba infiltrator
- StrongIDF: Hamas company commander Hudhaifa Qawari eliminated in Khan Yunis strike
- ConfirmedIDF details elimination of PIJ commander who led Oct. 7 abduction cell, warns of ceasefire threat
- StrongIDF eliminates Islamic Jihad Nukhba commander who infiltrated on Oct. 7
Source and signal
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