IDF Eliminates Hamas Terrorists, Including Hostage-Holder

The Israel Defense Forces announced Thursday the elimination of two Hamas terrorists in separate airstrikes in Gaza City this week, including a commander implicated in the holding of three Israeli hostages.

Muhammad Yazji, identified as a commander in Hamas’s Shati Battalion, was killed in an airstrike on Monday. According to the IDF, Yazji was involved throughout the war in holding Israeli hostages, including Emily Damari, Romi Gonen, and Matan Angrest, all of whom have since been released.

Damari and Gonen were abducted on October 7, 2023, and later released on January 19, 2025, after 471 days in captivity. Angrest, an IDF soldier, was taken from his tank during the Hamas attack and released on October 13, 2025, after more than two years in captivity.

In a separate operation on Tuesday, Israeli forces killed Muhammad Gamal, a terrorist affiliated with Hamas’s Daraj-Tuffah Battalion, in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood.

The IDF stated that both Yazji and Gamal had been advancing plans to attack Israeli troops and civilians and were working to rebuild Hamas’s operational capabilities, which the military described as a systematic violation of the ceasefire agreement.

Precautions were reportedly taken to minimize civilian casualties during the strikes, including the use of precision munitions and aerial surveillance, according to the IDF. Israeli troops operating under the Southern Command remain deployed in the Gaza Strip and continue to act against immediate threats.