From the Liveblog of
Monday, August 3, 2026
IDF kills Islamic Jihad terrorist who took part in Oct. 7, held Israeli hostage
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 held hostage Rom Braslavski in captivity was killed in an airstrike over the weekend, the IDF announces.
The strike in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah killed Mahmoud Fatair, a member of Islamic Jihad’s elite forces, according to the military.
The IDF says Fatair invaded Israel on October 7 and took part in holding Braslavski in Islamic Jihad captivity.
The military says that in November 2023, during the release of Israeli hostages, Fatair was seen “participating in the hostage handover ceremony of numerous hostages,” including Amit Shani, Ofir Engel, Moran Stela Yanai, Itay Regev, Liam Or-Nassar, Raz Ben Ami, Rantin Phaiboon, Gong Sae Lao, Seekena Jakkapan and Saegkaew Charoemchai.
The IDF justifies the strike amid the ceasefire by saying that Fatair had been advancing attacks on troops and Israeli civilians, and he was “eliminated to remove the threat.”
צה"ל חיסל מחבל גא"פ שפשט ב-7 באוקטובר, לקח חלק בהחזקתו של רום ברסלבסקי בשבי ובטקסי מסירת חטופים
צה"ל תקף במרחב דיר אל-בלח במהלך סוף השבוע, וחיסל את המחבל מחמוד פטאיר, מפקד נוח'בה בחטיבת מחנות המרכז בארגון הטרור גא"פ.
המחבל פשט לשטח מדינת ישראל ב-7 באוקטובר ולקח חלק בהחזקתו של… pic.twitter.com/VHsEOE57Tn
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 3, 2026
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