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Tuesday, August 18, 2026
IDF: Gaza strike killed Islamic Jihad terrorist who took hostage from Be’eri on Oct. 7
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist who invaded Israel during the October 7, 2023, onslaught and abducted an Israeli hostage was killed in a strike in the southern Gaza Strip this week, the military announces.
The strike in Khan Younis on Sunday killed Tareq Anwar Khamis Ra’i, identified by the army as a company commander in Islamic Jihad’s supply unit.
On October 7, Ra’i invaded Kibbutz Be’eri “and took part in the abduction of an Israeli civilian,” the IDF says, without detailing who the hostage was.
The military justifies the strike amid the ceasefire by saying that Ra’i had recently been advancing attacks on troops and civilians. He was “eliminated to remove a threat,” the IDF adds.
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