IDF eliminates an Islamic Jihad commander involved in the captivity of Rom Braslavski

The Israeli military said Monday it had killed Mahmoud Fatair, a commander in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's Nukhba elite force, during a strike over the weekend in the Deir al-Balah area of central Gaza.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, Fatair infiltrated Israel during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack and took part in holding Israeli hostage Rom Braslavski while he was in captivity in Gaza.

The IDF said Fatair was also among the Islamic Jihad operatives who appeared during the November 2023 hostage release ceremonies held under the temporary ceasefire agreement. The military said he was filmed wearing an Islamic Jihad uniform while participating in the handover of several hostages, including Amit Shani, Ofir Engel, Moran Stella Yanai, Itay Regev, Liam Or-Nassar and Raz Ben Ami, as well as several foreign nationals.

The military said Fatair had recently been involved in planning attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops, adding that he was targeted to eliminate an imminent threat.

The IDF said it took steps to mitigate civilian harm before carrying out the strike, including the use of precision-guided munitions and aerial surveillance.

Israeli forces under the Southern Command remain deployed in the area in accordance with the current operational framework and will continue to act against threats, the military said.

Following the announcement, former hostage Rom Braslavski welcomed the operation in a social media post, saying Fatair was "another one of those who ruined my mental health" and "destroyed my soul" during his captivity. Braslavski thanked the IDF and vowed that members of Palestinian terrorist groups would be brought to justice, writing, "None of you will remain—not a single one." He concluded his message by thanking "all the good people in the State of Israel," declaring "Am Yisrael Chai" ("The people of Israel live"), and "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."