IDF confirms killing Hamas commander who held multiple Israelis hostage in Gaza

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Friday that Muhammad Bassam Mushtaha, a commander in Hamas’s Al-Shati battalion, was killed in an airstrike in northern Gaza on July 30. According to the military, Mushtaha was responsible for holding several Israelis kidnapped on October 7, 2023, including Tsachi Idan and Cpl. Noa Marciano, who were killed in captivity, as well as Ziv Berman, Omri Miran, Ori Megidish, Naama Levy, and Matan Angrest, who were later freed or rescued. The IDF stated that Mushtaha was targeted due to his recent attempts to advance terrorist plots against Israeli forces and citizens. Separately, the military reported the deaths of two other Hamas commanders: Hudhaifa Khaled Suleiman Qawari, killed in Khan Younis, and Jamal Mahmoud Abu Kamil, killed in Gaza City. The IDF justified these strikes as defensive measures taken to neutralize immediate threats posed by the commanders against Israeli troops.