Last month, the Israel Defense Forces announced the elimination of Hasan Mahmoud Hasan Hussein, who led the brutal attack on a bomb shelter on Route 232 in Kibbutz Re’im on October 7, where 16 people were brutally murdered in the attack. Four others were taken hostage on Gaza, including Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was later killed in captivity.
The IDF also confirmed the death of Yousef Mahmoud Muhammad Juma’a, head of the Hamas cell that raided Kibbutz alumim; Mahmoud Afana, who infamously bragged to his parents about killing 10 Jews during the terror invasion; and Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Awad who held slain hostages Shiri Bibas and her two children, Kfir and Ariel, and was involved in their murders, as well as the deaths of American citizens Gad Haggai and Judy Weistein.
Israel eliminates Gaza terrorist who took part in October. Attacked Kibbutz, took Yarden Bibas hostage
Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Awad, a senior commander in the Palestinian Mujahideen terrorist organization, led attacks on the Nir Oz Kibbutz and was responsible for the capture and murder of the Bibas family. 4/4/2025 (Image provided by the Israel Defense Forces)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to settle scores with Hamas, previously claiming: “We will not rest, nor will we be silent. We will pursue you, we will find you and we will stand defeated with you.”
Maj. Gene. (Ret.) Amos Yadlin, former head of the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate, said this approach dates back decades.
He said the same principles applied when the United States targeted USAMA BIN LADEN after the attacks by al Qaeda 9/11 and, more recently, ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. “None of these terrorists should die of old age,” he said.
Yadlin explained that intelligence is collected by the Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security agency akin to the FBI; Aman, Israel’s Directorate of Military Intelligence, the country’s largest intelligence agency; and the Mossad, when the target is abroad. Strikes are usually carried out by the air force, which he said is very accurate in targeting threats.
Iranians follow a truck, center, carrying the coffins of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and his bodyguard during their funeral ceremony in Tehran, Iran, on Thursday, August 1. (AP/Vahid Salemi)
On July 31, 2024, Israel assassinated Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran during his visit for the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian, using an explosive device covertly planted at the Tehran guesthouse where he was staying.
The IDF also killed former Hamas Terror Chief in Gaza Yahya Sinwar; The head of Hamas’ armed wing, Mohammed Deif, and more recently, Sinwar’s brother Mohammed, who had succeeded him.
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The Shin Bet has established a special center dedicated exclusively to finding Hamas terrorists who participated in the October 7 massacre, according to Brig. Gene. (Ret.) Lior Akerman, a senior researcher at the Institute for Policy and Strategy at Reichman University.
Yahya Sinwar, shown as a rat hiding in a tunnel, is the ace card in the deck given to Israeli soldiers.
Akerman said the Shin bet took the same approach during the second Intifada, the Palestinian terror war in the early 2000s. He noted that Aziz Salha—who gained worldwide fame from a video showing him lynching two Israeli soldiers in Ramallah’s twin city of El-Bireh on October 12, 2000—was killed in October 2024 in an IDF strike in the Gaza Strip.
IDF Brig. Gene. (res.) Amir Avivi emphasized that gathering intelligence on terrorists is a complex process that depends on multiple sources.
Memorials at the site of the October 7 Hamas Terror attack at the Supernova Music Festival near Kibbutz Re’im, Israel, on Monday, May 27, 2024. (Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty images)
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“You would need two sources to verify a terrorist’s position and then also ensure that he is isolated enough so that there is no danger to civilians. Once you manage to find the best operational conditions, you choose the method of attack,” he added.
Avivi said gathering information about Hamas terrorists and the organization’s structure has been an ongoing effort for years, including mapping platoons, companies and battalions, as well as identifying commanders. Prior to the October 7 attacks, Israeli security forces already possessed extensive intelligence on many of the terrorists involved, including the use of satellite imagery and intercepted communications.
An Israel Defense Forces Infographic shows key Hamas terrorists involved in planning the October 7 attacks who have since been killed by Israel. (IDF)
While the October 7 massacre involved far more perpetrators than typical terror attacks in Israel – with around 6,000 storming the border that day – Nuriel said the methods for tracking them remain the same; However, the larger scale means the process will take longer.
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“I believe one of the reasons Hamas will be willing to accept President Trump’s peace plan is because it allows many of them to stay out of Israel’s long-term arms,” he continued. “If they agree to the whole proposal, some of them will survive.”
