An Israeli airstrike in Gaza has eliminated the Hamas commander responsible for abducting American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
“The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Tuesday that it had killed Youssef Ayesh Awad Ramadan, the second-in-command of a Hamas Nukhba force cell, during an operation in the central Gaza Strip,” Israel’s i24NEWS TV channel reported. “Ramadan was described as a senior operative who took part in the October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel and played a role in the abduction of civilians from the bomb shelter at the Re’im Junction.”
Ramadan was responsible for kidnapping Hersh and several other hostages from a bomb shelter at the Re’im Junction. Hersh, originally from Berkeley, California, was brutally murdered by Hamas in August 2024 after 11 months of grueling captivity in terror tunnels.
“Ramadan infiltrated Israeli territory during the October 7th massacre and took part in the abduction of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eliya Cohen, Alon Ohel, and Or Levy from the bomb shelter at the Re’im Junction,” the IDF said in a statement on Tuesday.
“In addition, throughout the war, and in recent weeks, the terrorist advanced attack plans against IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians. As such, he posed an immediate threat to IDF troops operating in the Gaza Strip,” the IDF statement added.
Israel’s Ynetnews reported the strike:
The IDF said Tuesday it eliminated Yousef Ayesh Awad Ramadan, a deputy commander of a Hamas Nukhba terrorist cell who took part in the abduction of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eliya Cohen, Alon Ohel and Or Levy from the bomb shelter at the Re’im Junction during the October 7 massacre.Ramadan was killed Monday in an IDF strike in the central Gaza Strip, according to the military.The IDF said Ramadan infiltrated Israeli territory during the October 7 massacre and took part in the abduction of the four hostages from the Re’im Junction shelter, one of the most infamous scenes of the Hamas attack.According to the military, Ramadan continued throughout the war, and in recent weeks, to advance attack plans against IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians. The IDF said he therefore posed an immediate threat to Israeli troops operating in the Gaza Strip.
Hostages Eliya Cohen (26), Alon Ohel (24), and Or Levy (34) were also taken hostage by the terror cell led by Ramadan from the same bomb shelter. All three returned alive as part of a hostages-for-terrorists exchange.
Hersh lost his left arm as he threw grenades out of the bomb shelter. Hamas showed him in propaganda videos as part of its psychological warfare during the Gaza War.
Ramadan’s elimination highlights Israel’s commitment to bring every last October 7 perpetrator to justice. Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that an elite Israeli task force was pursuing Palestinian terrorists who took part in the massacre.
This dedicated unit, run by Israel’s Shin Bet security service and Mossad, had managed to track down and eliminate hundreds of terrorists who committed atrocities during the attack. “Hundreds have been struck from the list, in one of the most personal and highly technical targeting campaigns in the history of warfare,” the WSJ revealed. “One by one, militants who videotaped their exploits that day have been identified and killed (…).”
In recent weeks, the IDF eliminated Hamas’s Gaza chief, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, and his successor, Mohammed Odeh — both responsible for the planning and execution of the October 7 attack.
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