GAZA STRIP — The Israel Defense Forces confirmed it killed Hussam al-Shafie in a strike on July 15, 2026. Al-Shafie was a member of the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades’ Eastern Khan Yunis Battalion and had abducted the remains of three Israeli soldiers during the October 7, 2023, attack on Kibbutz Nirim.

According to the IDF, al-Shafie infiltrated Kibbutz Nirim on October 7, 2023, during the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel. During that attack, he took the bodies of Col. Asaf Hamami, St.-Sgt. Tomer Yaakov Ahimas, and Sgt. Kiril Brodski into the Gaza Strip. All three soldiers died defending the kibbutz that day.

Col. Hamami served as head of the Gaza Division’s Southern Brigade at the time of his death. St.-Sgt. Ahimas and Sgt. Brodski were under his command. Hamami was the highest-ranking IDF officer whose remains were abducted during the October 7 attacks, a distinction that heightened the military’s resolve to locate and recover the bodies.

The strike that killed al-Shafie was conducted by the 143rd Gaza Division following intelligence gathering, the IDF said. On the same day as the strike, the military released footage showing the operation that resulted in his death. The operation was part of ongoing efforts to target individuals involved in the abduction and concealment of Israeli military personnel remains.

Al-Shafie’s role in removing the soldiers’ remains from Israeli territory marked him as a priority target in the IDF’s post-October 7 operations. The military has consistently stated that recovering the remains of fallen soldiers is a central objective in its Gaza campaign. The abduction of Hamami, Ahimas, and Brodski—one officer and two enlisted soldiers—represented one of the most prominent cases of such desecration during the initial assault.

In the years since the October 7 attacks, international aid has flowed into Gaza despite the ongoing conflict. Approximately 1.8 million tons of food and more than 18,000 tons of medical supplies have entered the territory over the last two years, according to United Nations data. Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN’s Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, has overseen aspects of this humanitarian effort, though his role is distinct from the military developments involving al-Shafie.

The killing of Hussam al-Shafie underscores the IDF’s continued focus on holding accountable those involved in the October 7 attacks, even years later. The abduction of soldiers’ remains remains a deeply sensitive issue in Israel, where military tradition emphasizes the return of every fallen service member. By confirming al-Shafie’s death and releasing operational footage, the IDF signaled both a tactical success and a symbolic step toward closure for the families of the three soldiers.

This operation also reflects the broader pattern of targeted strikes based on intelligence, directed by field commands like the 143rd Gaza Division. As the conflict enters its fourth year, such actions demonstrate the persistence of Israel’s campaign to dismantle Hamas’s operational capabilities and address unresolved consequences of the 2023 attacks.