The Hamas terrorist who murdered surveillance soldier Corporal Noa Marciano while she was held captive in Gaza has been eliminated, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Wednesday.
The strike on a group of terrorists, including Muhammad Issam Hassan al-Habil, had reportedly followed a Hamas attack overnight that wounded IDF troops in northern Gaza, in violation of the ceasefire agreement.
Al-Habil, a key Hamas cell commander, was killed in the airstrike in Gaza City’s Shati refugee camp, the IDF said in a statement.
"In response to the blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement overnight, earlier today (Wednesday), the IDF and ISA struck and eliminated the terrorist Muhammad Issam Hassan al-Habil, head of a Hamas terrorist cell," the IDF confirmed.
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The IDF also said that via Israeli Security Agency (ISA) questioning, al-Habil had brutally murdered Marciano, 19, while in Hamas captivity.
The IDF soldier had been abducted from the Nahal Oz outpost during the terrorist organization’s October 7th massacre.
She was wounded in an IDF airstrike on Nov. 9, 2023, while being held by Hamas and was later taken to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. At the time, Hamas claimed Marciano died in an Israeli airstrike.
Her body was eventually recovered by Israeli forces in November 2023 and returned to Israel for burial in Modi’in, where she had lived with her family.
Following the announcement of al-Habil's death, Marciano’s mother, Adi Marciano, said the family had been promised that everyone involved in her daughter’s murder would be brought to justice, according to The Times of Israel.
"There is no real comfort in this," she said. "But there is knowledge that justice was done, even if only partially. Nothing will bring Noa back to us."
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"This elimination brings closure for the Marciano family, and to the IDF and ISA," the IDF said.
"The IDF and ISA will continue to operate against any terrorist involved in the brutal Oct. 7 massacre and against any attempts by terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip to carry out terror attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians."
Israeli forces had been responding to multiple security incidents overnight, including attacks on IDF troops when al-Habil was killed.
At around 1 a.m., terrorists had opened fire on IDF forces in the Daraj Tuffah area, severely wounding a reserve officer.
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IDF troops returned fire and carried out additional strikes in the area to eliminate the threat.
In the attack, suspects were identified approaching the yellow line in southern Khan Younis and were deemed a threat to the troops. The suspects were subsequently struck, the IDF said.
In addition to al-Habil, those killed included Bilal Abu Assi, a Hamas Nukhba platoon commander who led the massacre at Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7.
Abu Assi was believed to have taken part in holding deceased hostages in captivity while directing terrorist plots against IDF troops.
Ali Raziana, commander of the Northern Gaza Brigade of the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization was also killed, according to the IDF.
