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Monday, June 22, 2026
IDF says Oct. 7 terrorist who held Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov, and who Shem Tov was directed to kiss, killed in recent Gaza strike
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A Hamas terrorist who invaded Israel during the October 7, 2023, onslaught and held hostage Omer Shem Tov in captivity during the war was killed in an Israeli airstrike over the weekend, the IDF announces.
The military says the strike in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday killed Sabaei Zahir Abd al-Hamid Abu Hasna, a member of Hamas’s elite Nukhba Force.
When Shem Tov was released by Hamas, he was seen being directed to kiss Abu Hasna on his head by the terror group’s cameramen, who were filming the carefully staged handover event.
שימו לב
עומר שם טוב לא העניק נשיקה מרצונו החופשי והאמיתי למחבלים סביבו. שימו לב לסרטון – הצלם של הזרוע הצבאית של חמאס עולה לבמה ומחלק לעומר הוראות. רואים שברגע שעומר מקבל את ההוראה, החיוך יורד לו מן הפנים!
המפלצות מהלכים אימים על חטופינו עד השנייה האחרונה
חמאס מודע לסופו הגמור! pic.twitter.com/VermNVUlT1— GetLost! (@or8getlost) February 22, 2025
Abu Hasna invaded Israel on October 7, held Shem Tov in captivity, was involved in planting explosive devices during the war, and recently attempted to advance attacks on troops operating in Gaza, the IDF says.
In a separate strike over the weekend, three Hamas gunmen who attempted to advance attacks on troops were killed, the military adds.
The IDF in recent months has been ramping up strikes on terror operatives in Gaza, including several October 7 terrorists, claiming they posed a threat to Israeli forces.
The Times of Israel Community.