IDF: Hamas terrorist involved in Oct. 7, hostage ceremonies killed

The Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) killed Hamas terrorist Hamza Wael Muhammad Asafah in a precision airstrike in central Gaza two weeks ago, the agencies said on Tuesday.

Asafah, a senior member of the Nukhba Force in Hamas’s Deir al-Balah Battalion, infiltrated Israeli territory during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre and subsequently participated in hostage release ceremonies used by Hamas for propaganda purposes. The IDF said he was involved in the return of hostages Eli Sharabi, Ohad Ben-Ami and Or Levy.

The joint IDF-Shin Bet operation was carried out after extensive intelligence gathering and aerial surveillance to minimize harm to civilians.

In a separate announcement, the IDF and Shin Bet said that on Sunday night, they killed Muhammad al-Ajlah, the commander of Hamas’s Shejaiya Battalion, in a strike in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City. Al-Ajlah had succeeded Haitham Rizq Abd al-Karim Sheikh Khalil, who was killed last week.

Al-Ajlah previously served as commander of a combat support company in the Shejaiya Battalion and was responsible for arming terrorists with weapons used in attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops.

He is the fifth commander of Hamas’s Shejaiya Battalion to be slain since the start of the war on Oct. 7, 2023, and the third since the resumption of major operations in Gaza on March 18, 2025.

The IDF said it took numerous steps before the strike to mitigate civilian harm, including issuing advanced warnings, using precise munitions, and conducting aerial surveillance.

“The Hamas terrorist organization systematically violates international law, using civilian infrastructure and populations as human shields,” the statement read. “The IDF and Shin Bet will continue operating to protect the State of Israel.”