Israel halts targeted strikes in Gaza, suspending pursuit of October 7 suspects
According to The Times of Israel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet security agency have halted lethal targeted strikes in Gaza since the beginning of this month. This shift appears to have suspended special operations aimed at identifying and killing Palestinians involved in the 7 October 2023 attacks. In a recent incident on Wednesday, a member of Hamas’s elite Nukhba force, who had participated in the 7 October incursion, was arrested at the Kerem Shalom crossing. Security sources stated the individual had entered the route with Shin Bet authorisation to facilitate private sector goods deliveries and was apprehended while arriving by truck to collect supplies. The Times of Israel previously reported that a joint IDF-Shin Bet unit, known as 'Nili', had spent the last three years dedicating significant resources to identifying and killing thousands of Palestinians suspected of involvement in the attacks. Using footage from the assault—including videos recorded by the attackers themselves—and facial recognition technology, the unit compiled a list of suspects, including Hamas leaders involved in the planning. The IDF estimates that approximately 5,000 people were involved in the planning or execution of the 7 October attacks and their aftermath, including those who remained in Gaza and participated in holding hostages. The military states that the deaths of approximately 2,800 of these individuals have been confirmed, either during the initial attack or in subsequent operations. Around 300 others have been detained by Israel and are awaiting trial in special military courts that have yet to be established. While retaliatory operations had intensified in recent months, security sources indicated on Tuesday that regulations regarding 'targeted eliminations' in Gaza have been tightened. Such operations now require approval from the IDF Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir; previously, authorisation from the Southern Command or divisional commanders was sufficient. Since this directive was issued, no further assassinations of 7 October suspects have been reported. The last lethal Israeli strike in Gaza occurred on the evening of 3 August, when a vehicle was hit in the Sheikh Ajlin neighbourhood of Gaza City, killing two people. Two days prior, reports indicated that Israeli strikes in Gaza City had resulted in 19 deaths. The pause in operations follows the release of a roadmap for the disarmament of Hamas by a US-led 'peace delegation', which requested that Israel halt strikes in the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Sunday that Israel had rejected the plan, yet strikes had not resumed hours after his remarks. During a visit to Gaza on Wednesday, Eyal Zamir stated that the military would continue 'pre-emptive' action against Hamas and deliver 'systematic' blows to the group. According to a transcript released by the IDF, he said: 'We have significantly weakened Hamas and changed the security reality. We will not allow a threat to form on our borders, as we experienced on 7 October.' Despite these statements, The Times of Israel reports that Israeli strikes in Gaza remain suspended.