IDF Strikes Back: Islamic Jihad Brigade Commander and October 7 Masterminds Neutralized

In a powerful moment of military and personal closure, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Wednesday the elimination of Muhammad Essam Hassan Habil, the Hamas cell leader responsible for the brutal murder of Cpl. Noa Marciano while she was held hostage in Gaza. The precision strike in the Shati area was part of a broader retaliatory operation triggered by Hamas and Islamic Jihad violations of the current ceasefire agreement. Marciano, a dedicated lookout who was abducted from the Nahal Oz base during the October 7 massacre, became a symbol of the hostage tragedy after Hamas released psychological warfare videos of her before her death. The operation that took down her killer was made possible through intelligence gathered by the Gaza Division, the very unit Noa served in before her abduction.

Justice for Noa Marciano

The news of the successful hit brought a somber sense of peace to the Marciano family. Adi Marciano, Noa’s mother, expressed her emotions upon learning that the man responsible for her daughter's death, whom she identified as a doctor-turned-terrorist, had been neutralized. "I received the jarring message that the doctor/terrorist who murdered my beloved daughter Noa was eliminated by our fighters," she said. While she emphasized that nothing could ever bring Noa back or fill the void left by her sensitive and light-filled presence, she acknowledged the significance of the act. "The knowledge that our fighters, while risking their lives, located and eliminated the one responsible for her murder brings with it a certain sense of closing a circle that is slightly comforting," Adi added.

The family requested that Noa be remembered not for the tragedy of her death, but for the love and kindness she brought to the world. The intelligence that led to Habil's location was a collaborative effort, specifically utilizing data from the 143rd Division. This ensures that the unit Noa protected until her final moments played a direct role in bringing her murderer to justice.

Retaliation for Ceasefire Violations

The strikes were not isolated incidents but a direct response to a string of illegal attacks by terrorists in Gaza over the last 24 hours. In the northern Strip, terrorists opened fire on IDF positions, and in a separate incident near the "Yellow Line," a reserve officer was seriously wounded by gunfire. The officer was evacuated to a hospital, and his family has been notified. In response, the IDF launched several targeted attacks against high-value terror assets.

Among those killed was Ali Ar-Razaina, the commander of the northern Gaza brigade for the Islamic Jihad. Ar-Razaina was a key member of the organization’s military council and was responsible for coordinating defense plans and terror operations with Hamas. He was targeted in a strike on a tent in Deir al-Balah, where his daughter, Ghada, was also reportedly killed. Ar-Razaina had survived multiple previous assassination attempts that claimed the lives of his two sons. Additionally, the IDF eliminated Bilal Abu Aatsi, a Nukhba commander who led the raid on Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 and was suspected of involvement in the holding of deceased hostages. These operations serve as a stern warning that any breach of the ceasefire will result in the immediate and lethal targeting of senior terror leadership.