Shin Bet interrogations revealed that al-Habil brutally murdered IDF surveillance soldier Noa Marciano while she was held captive by Hamas.
By The IDF Club
The IDF and the Shin Bet announced Wednesday that they carried out a series of targeted strikes in the Gaza Strip, eliminating senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists in response to a serious ceasefire violation overnight.
The operations followed an incident in which terrorists opened fire on IDF forces operating in northern Gaza, wounding an Israeli reserve officer. The military said the shooting constituted a grave breach of the ceasefire agreement and prompted immediate action against key terror operatives.
In one strike, IDF and Shin Bet forces targeted and eliminated Ali Raziana, the commander of Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Northern Gaza Brigade.
According to the military, Raziana was responsible for deploying Islamic Jihad terrorists, overseeing the brigade’s defensive plans, and serving on the organization’s military council. He also coordinated closely with Hamas to plan and carry out attacks against IDF forces.
During the war, Raziana oversaw the captivity of hostages held by Islamic Jihad in northern Gaza and, following the ceasefire, worked to rebuild the group’s northern brigade. The IDF said the strike “closed the circle” on a terrorist deeply involved in severe attacks against Israel and its civilians.
In a separate strike earlier in the day, IDF and Shin Bet forces targeted Bilal Abu Assi, a Hamas Nukhba platoon commander in southern Gaza. Abu Assi led the October 7 infiltration into Kibbutz Nir Oz, where dozens of civilians were abducted and murdered during the massacre. The military said he also led terror attacks against IDF forces and was likely involved in holding deceased Israeli hostages captive throughout the war.
Additionally, in another operation in the Shati area of Gaza, IDF and Shin Bet forces killed Mohammad Issam Hassan al-Habil, a Hamas cell commander. Shin Bet investigations determined that al-Habil brutally murdered IDF surveillance soldier Noa Marciano while she was held captive by Hamas after being abducted from the Nahal Oz base on October 7.
The military said intelligence gathered by the Gaza Division, to which Marciano belonged, enabled the operation, calling it a significant closure for her family and the security forces.
Addressing reports that uninvolved civilians were harmed in some of the strikes, including a medical worker, the IDF said it is aware of the claims and stressed that extensive measures were taken before and during the operations to minimize civilian harm, including real-time surveillance and the use of precision-guided munitions. The military said it regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals.
The IDF and Shin Bet emphasized that they will continue to act decisively against terrorists involved in the October 7 massacre and against any attempts by terror organizations in Gaza to carry out attacks against Israeli forces or civilians, while making every effort to limit harm to non-combatants.
