The military confirmed that Muhammad Na'im Jandiya, head of military security for Hamas's Shuja'iyya Battalion, was killed in a precision strike in northern Gaza on Wednesday. Jandiya commanded the Nukhba cell that abducted Capt. Daniel Perez on October 7 and was responsible for holding Yotam Chaim, Samer Al-Talalka, and Alon Shamriz in an underground tunnel during the war.
The IDF and Shin Bet have identified the senior Hamas operative eliminated in a precision strike in northern Gaza on Wednesday as Muhammad Na'im Jandiya, head of military security for the Shuja'iyya Battalion. The confirmation, released at 14:53 Jerusalem on Friday — two days after the strike — places Jandiya at the center of both the October 7 abduction of Capt. Daniel Perez and the prolonged underground captivity of Yotam Chaim, Samer Al-Talalka, and Alon Shamriz.
According to the military's joint statement, Jandiya commanded the Nukhba cell that infiltrated Kibbutz Nahal Oz on October 7 and abducted Perez. He was also responsible for holding Chaim, Al-Talalka, and Shamriz in an underground tunnel throughout the war. The three hostages were mistakenly killed by IDF fire in December 2023 in the Shejaiya area, as The Zioneer has previously reported. The statement further notes that Jandiya was among the masked operatives in hostage release ceremonies and had recently advanced attack plots against Israeli troops.
Friday's announcement is the latest in a series of IDF and Shin Bet confirmations of eliminations targeting Hamas operatives tied to both the October 7 massacre and hostage holding. As The Zioneer reported in late June, similar operations have killed Waleed Haniyeh — a Nukhba deputy company commander involved in abductions — and Saba'ai Abu Hasna, an operative from Hamas's Shadow Unit who held hostages. The military has emphasized that the strike on Jandiya used precise munitions and aerial surveillance to mitigate civilian harm.
No independent confirmation of the strike's details or Jandiya's precise role in the hostage holding has been published. The IDF's account remains the sole source for the identification and operational history attributed to him.
10 developments
- DevelopingIDF says Jandiya, Hamas operative eliminated in strike, advanced recent attacks, took part in hostage release ceremonies
- StrongIDF kills four Hamas commanders including Oct. 7 infiltration leader and naval police chief
- StrongIDF kills two Hamas cell commanders in central and northern Gaza strikes
- StrongIDF confirms Waleed Haniyeh eliminated 'day before yesterday,' details October 7 role
Source and signal
- Internal intake