The challenge of locating the terrorists in Gaza is becoming much more complex due to the current situation.

By Hezy Laing

It is estimated that some 5000 terrorists from Gaza took part in the October 7th massacre.

Some 1000 were killed during the actual event, but that left over 4000 still alive and free.

At the beginning of the Iron Swords war of retaliation, Israel’s Shin Bet internal security agency created a special group called NILI (Netzach Israel Lo Yishaker) to hunt down the remaining terrorists.

Over the past two years some 500 massacre perpetrators were eliminated, but this still leaves many more.

Former Shin Bet Officer, Yossi Amrusi recently told the Arutz Shevah Hebrew website how the hunt is being managed.

“This is highly detailed, painstaking work,” Amrusi says of the challenge.

The operation personnel “watch all the massacre videos, most of which are horror shows, identify each terrorist and then begin the phase of locating him inside the Gaza Strip.”

“It is a big challenge finding the specific man they are looking for in order to settle accounts with him.”

“This is work that includes both technology and intelligence to close in on the person, and after they have managed to locate him and verify his identity, the IDF knows how to eliminate him. This is a sacred task.”

The challenge of locating the terrorists in Gaza, Amrusi emphasizes, is becoming much more complex due to the current situation.

“Finding them in the field is much more complicated now, because it is impossible to reach their homes.”

“Many of their homes are destroyed or they have moved away, and this is where the professionalism of the Shin Bet, the desk officers, the investigators and the technology people comes into play.”

“They make a concerted effort and search from area to area to find the man and then decide what course of action to take to settle accounts with him.”

“Those we have not yet reached are living on borrowed time,” concludes Amrusi.

The “Civilians” Who Took Part in the Massacre

Are Arab civilians who joined the Nuhba terrorists also targeted?

“Our intelligence shows that not Nuhba terrorists were not the only ones to become murderers, rapists, and abusers.

Unarmed civilians who initially entered Israel to steal a tractor or a carpet, seized weapons, and participated in the murderous acts.

At the beginning of the war, a documentary was published of a terrorist who said during his interrogation that he was not Nuhba at all.

But when he saw the success of the Nuhba, he took up arms and participated in the murder and rape.”

Hundreds of terrorists are also in Israeli custody.

Though it has been two years since they were captured, the Israeli courts have still not brought them to trial.