Israeli strike kills Nukhba commander who held freed hostage Rom Braslavski

Over the weekend, the Israeli military killed Mahmoud Fatair, a commander in the Nukhba unit of Palestinian Islamic Jihad's Central Gaza Brigade, in an airstrike on Deir al-Balah, the IDF spokesperson announced.

Fatair infiltrated Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, and was involved in holding Rom Braslavski hostage. In November 2023, he was documented in an Islamic Jihad uniform at a hostage release ceremony for multiple captives.

The IDF stated that Fatair had recently been attempting to promote terror attacks against troops and civilians and was eliminated to remove the threat. Before the strike, steps were taken to reduce harm to civilians, including precision munitions and aerial surveillance, the military noted.

In a video, Braslavski addressed his former captors in Arabic, saying the Israeli military had killed another person who had ruined his soul. He warned that members of Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and other groups would die one after another, ending with 'Am Israel chai' and a reference to 'an eye for an eye' from the Torah.

In separate strikes on Sunday across Gaza—including Gaza City, Jabalia, and Mawasi in Khan Younis—Palestinian health authorities reported at least nine dead. These included a husband and wife in Deir al-Balah, two people including a child in Gaza City, a family of three in Mawasi, and one person near Jabalia. The IDF said the Deir al-Balah strikes targeted two Hamas Nukhba commanders and that strikes in Gaza City and Jabalia targeted military operatives, with assessments ongoing.

A separate report citing health teams said at least 14 Palestinians were killed and many injured across Gaza on Sunday by Israeli air and artillery strikes, despite an existing ceasefire. Rescue efforts continued under the rubble, and officials warned the toll could rise.