IDF strike kills Hamas terrorist linked to Shani Louk’s abduction
The IDF and Shin Bet say the man participated in the October 7 attack and later worked to rebuild Hamas’s military capabilities and prepare new attacks
An Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza has killed a Hamas operative who took part in the abduction of Shani Louk during the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, according to a joint statement from the Israeli military and the Shin Bet security agency.
The statement identified the man as Tamer Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Zabaq, a member of Hamas’s military wing, and said he was killed Monday in the Jabalia area.
Israeli authorities said he had crossed into Israel during the Hamas-led assault and participated in Louk’s abduction.
Louk, a German-Israeli tattoo artist, had attended the Nova music festival. Israeli authorities later determined that she was killed while fleeing the attack and that her body was taken into Gaza.
Footage showing her body in a pickup truck circulated internationally, drawing widespread attention to her fate. Israeli forces recovered her remains in May 2024.
The military and Shin Bet said Al-Zabaq had continued planning attacks against Israeli troops and civilians during the war, including recently, and had worked to rebuild Hamas’s military capabilities. They described those activities as violations of the ceasefire and said the strike was intended to remove the threat he posed.
The statement did not detail the evidence linking Al-Zabaq to Louk’s abduction or identify the recent attacks he was accused of preparing.
Israeli authorities said precision munitions and aerial surveillance were used to reduce the risk of civilian harm.