The IDF and Shin Bet confirmed they killed two Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives who infiltrated Israel during the October 7 massacre. Talal Jaber Muhammad Abd al-Al, a commander who led an infiltration squad and held hostages during the war, was struck in southern Gaza on Sunday. Ali Qaid Muhammad Stitan, a Nukhba platoon commander, was eliminated by a precision aerial strike in central Gaza on Monday; he had recently attempted to advance attacks against Israeli forces and civilians.
The IDF and Shin Bet confirmed Tuesday the elimination of a second Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative who took part in the October 7, 2023, massacre: Ali Qaid Muhammad Stitan, a Nukhba platoon commander, was killed by a precision aerial strike in the central Gaza Strip on Monday, according to a joint statement. The military said Stitan infiltrated Israel during the October 7 attack and had recently attempted to advance attacks against Israeli forces and civilians. The operation follows Sunday's elimination of Talal Jaber Muhammad Abd al-Al, a PIJ commander who led an infiltration squad and held hostages, as reported by The Zioneer at 13:12 Jerusalem. Both strikes were announced by the military on Tuesday, naming the operatives for the first time after initial media reports earlier in the day had referred to an unnamed operative.
Earlier Tuesday, at 13:12 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that the IDF and Shin Bet had killed an Islamic Jihad operative who held hostages and commanded an October 7 squad, citing Israeli media; the military had not yet released the operative's name or strike location. By 15:19 Jerusalem, a dedicated bulletin identified the second operative as Stitan and detailed Monday's precision strike. The initial report's unnamed operative corresponds to Abd al-Al, whose identity and Sunday strike location were confirmed in the joint statement. The thread shows corroboration evolving from anonymous media reports to named, on-record military confirmation.
As The Zioneer has reported throughout June, the IDF and Shin Bet have been systematically targeting commanders and operatives linked to the October 7 attacks who remain active in Gaza, including Hamas Nukhba commander Abd al-Rahman Ziyada (eliminated June 28) and Islamic Jihad infiltrator Zaher Abu Salem (eliminated June 29). These operations have been carried out under the ceasefire framework, with IDF Southern Command forces deployed to remove immediate threats.
The extent of Stitan's role in recent attack planning beyond the military's general description remains unspecified, and no further details have been released about the intelligence that led to the strike or any collateral effects.
2 developments
- StrongIDF eliminates Islamic Jihad Nukhba commander who infiltrated on Oct. 7
- ConfirmedIDF kills two Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives in southern Gaza strike
- DevelopingIDF kills two Hamas operatives who carried out October 7 massacre in precision strikes
- StrongIDF and Shin Bet confirm elimination of Oct. 7 Islamic Jihad infiltrator Abu Salem
Source and signal
- Internal intake