From the Liveblog of
Monday, September 15, 2025
IDF names 21 ‘key’ Islamic Jihad operatives killed in recent Gaza operations
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Following intelligence investigations, the IDF and Shin Bet say they are able to reveal the identities of 21 “key terrorists” of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group who are among hundreds of operatives killed during operations in the Gaza Strip in the past six months.
Among them are the following commanders of Islamic Jihad units:
Muhammad Mashtaha, responsible for “military specialization” in the northern Gaza Strip; Amir Wadi, responsible for the sniper array in the Khan Younis Brigade; Jamal Maamar, responsible for rocket artillery in Rafah; Fadl Abu al-Ata, a sector commander in the Gaza City Brigade; Abdullah Abu Tir, the commander of the eastern sector in Khan Younis; Waam Abu Hajaj, commander of the eastern sector in the northern Gaza Strip; and Samir Abu Shawish, commander of the Yabna sector in Rafah.
In addition, the IDF and Shin Bet name the following Islamic Jihad experts in weapons manufacturing: Muntasir Salah, Ahmad Qadi, Fuad Ghanam, Khaled Bana and Saeed Mashraoui.
Lastly, the statement names Islamic Jihad operatives who carried out attacks against troops in Gaza and were killed: Basem al-Kheir, the head of a sniper cell; Youssef Kassab, the deputy commander of the eastern sector in Rafah; and Murad Abu-Jarad, the deputy commander of the Beit Hanoun sector in northern Gaza.
Several other lower-ranking operatives are not named in the statement but included in an infographic published by the IDF.
The Times of Israel Community.