Jerusalem, 4 February, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday that an airstrike targeted Bilal Abu Assi, a commander in Hamas’ elite Nukhba Force.
The IDF said an airstrike in the Mawasi area of southern Gaza was in response to an overnight attack on soldiers in northern Gaza in which a soldier was injured.
On the morning of October 7, 2023, Assi led around 500 terrorists in an attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz. During the attack, 46 people were killed and 76 more taken hostage.
According to the IDF, Assi likely held the remains of hostages and helped plan attacks on soldiers during the war.