Hamas Terrorist Who Killed Nahal Commander Eliminated by IDF

The IDF announced Thursday that it had eliminated Ismail Ibrahim Darwish Kandil, a member of Hamas's Nukhba force, in a strike carried out earlier this week in the Khan Yunis area of southern Gaza.

According to details released by the military, Kandil actively participated in the infiltration into Israeli territory on October 7 and directly took part in the killing of Nahal Brigade Commander Col. Yonatan Steinberg.

Since the massacre, the terrorist continued operating against Israeli security. In recent weeks, he advanced terror operations against IDF forces and Israeli civilians while working to restore Hamas's military capabilities in systematic violation of the ceasefire agreement. The elimination was carried out to remove the immediate threat he posed.

An IDF spokesperson stated in an official announcement: "IDF forces under Southern Command are deployed in the area in accordance with the agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat."

The elimination joins a series of military operations the IDF has conducted in recent days in Gaza. Days earlier, the IDF eliminated Muhammad al-Qadi, a Nukhba company commander who led the raid on the Sufa outpost during the October 7 massacre and participated in holding hostages in the Rafah area.

Additionally, elite Shin Bet and IDF forces succeeded last week in capturing Hamas's head of general security in Gaza in a complex operation in western Gaza City. The operation combined ground forces with massive air strikes designed to remove threats and provide cover for the forces.

Simultaneously, the IDF and Shin Bet struck in recent days across multiple areas throughout Gaza, destroying three weapons storage facilities belonging to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. A rocket launcher from which projectiles were fired toward Israeli territory during the war was also destroyed.

Elimination site in Gaza (Photo: Ali Hassan/Flash90)

According to a joint statement from the IDF and Shin Bet spokespersons, the terror organizations stored dozens of weapons of various types inside the warehouses, including rockets, Kalashnikov rifles, and additional combat equipment.

The IDF identified that in recent weeks, Hamas terrorists have been arriving at the warehouses and using the weapons stored inside for guard duty and to establish control in Gaza. The activity indicates the organization's attempts to restore its military capabilities and maintain combat equipment.