Israel is maintaining a significant campaign aimed at locating and eliminating Palestinian terrorists involved in the events of October 7, 2023, according to analysts who spoke with Fox News Digital. This approach is described as a long-standing strategy focused on both deterring future attacks and exacting retribution.
In a recent announcement, the Israel Defense Forces reported the elimination of Hasan Mahmoud Hasan Hussein, responsible for leading the savage attack on a bomb shelter at Route 232 in Kibbutz Re’im on October 7. This attack resulted in the tragic deaths of 16 individuals, with four others, including Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, being taken hostage to Gaza. Unfortunately, Goldberg-Polin was later killed while in captivity.
The IDF has also confirmed the elimination of Yousef Mahmoud Muhammad Juma’a, the leader of the Hamas cell responsible for the raid on Kibbutz Alumim. Additionally, Mahmoud Afana, who notoriously bragged to his parents about murdering 10 Jews during the terror invasion, and Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Awad, who held hostage Shiri Bibas and her children, Kfir and Ariel, and was involved in their murder, have been killed. Awad was also connected to the deaths of American citizens Gad Haggai and Judy Weinstein.
“You would need two sources to verify the position of a terrorist and then also ensure that he is isolated to prevent any risk to civilians. Once you secure optimal operational conditions, you then select the method of attack,” a source stated.
Avivi highlighted that collecting information on Hamas terrorists and their organizational framework has been a continuous endeavor, involving mapping platoons, companies, and battalions, along with recognizing commanders. Prior to the attacks on October 7, Israeli security forces already had substantial intelligence on many of the terrorists involved, using data from satellite imagery and intercepted communications.
An Israel Defense Forces infographic shows key Hamas terrorists involved in planning the Oct. 7 attacks who have since been killed by Israel. (IDF)
Brig. Gen. (Res.) Nitzan Nuriel, who previously served as the director of the Counter-Terrorism Bureau at the Prime Minister’s Office from 2007 to 2012, told Fox News Digital that Israel had acquired extensive Hamas data, comprising gigabytes of videos, images, and documents, which allowed analysts to compile crucial intelligence.
While the Oct. 7 massacre involved far more perpetrators than typical terror attacks in Israel–with some 6,000 storming the border that day— Nuriel said the methods for tracking them remain the same; the larger scale, however, means the process will take longer.
“I believe one of the reasons Hamas will be willing to accept President Trump’s peace plan is because it allows many of them to stay out of Israel’s long-reaching arms,” he continued. “If they agree to the entire proposal, some of them will survive.”
