The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet killed a Hamas company commander who took part in holding Israeli hostages and served as a deputy to senior Hamas leaders in Gaza, the military said. The commander's name was not immediately released.
The IDF and Shin Bet officially confirmed the elimination of a Hamas company commander who was involved in holding Israeli hostages and served as a deputy to senior Hamas leaders in Gaza, the military said Friday. The confirmation came at 16:04 Jerusalem, following earlier reports from N12 (Channel 12) at 15:00 Jerusalem that identified the commander as Nitzan Shapira, a company commander and deputy to Muhammad Deif. The N12 reports also noted Shapira's role in documenting hostage release ceremonies.
The initial report, published at 15:00 Jerusalem, stated that Nitzan Shapira, a Hamas platoon commander (later updated to company commander), was eliminated in Gaza. The report cited his responsibility for holding Israeli hostages and documenting their participation in release ceremonies. A second version of the report, also at 15:00 Jerusalem, added that he served as a deputy to Muhammad Deif. The Zioneer published a bulletin at 15:08 Jerusalem confirming the same details from N12.
The official confirmation from the IDF and Shin Bet adds military corroboration to the earlier media reports. The elimination is part of a broader Israeli campaign to dismantle Hamas's command structure and target those involved in hostage holding, as The Zioneer has previously reported (e.g., on June 30, July 7, and July 15, among other dates). The military has conducted numerous targeted strikes against mid-level and senior Hamas operatives in recent weeks.
The name of the commander was not released in the official military statement, though N12 identified him as Nitzan Shapira. The exact location and time of the strike have not been specified. It remains unclear whether the IDF has fully confirmed the link to Muhammad Deif or the hostage documentation role.
3 developments
- StrongIDF eliminates senior Hamas operative involved in holding hostages
- DevelopingIDF names two Hamas operatives killed last week: Oct. 7 infiltrator and tunnel chief
- DevelopingIDF drone strike kills Hamas battalion commander in Khan Younis, second operative
- StrongIDF confirms targeted strike on Hamas vehicle in Khan Younis, two operatives killed
Source and signal
- Internal intake