Israel eliminates terrorist who killed IDF commander

Israeli forces have eliminated the terrorist who killed IDF commander Maj. (res.) Amishar Ben-David in southern Gaza on Friday, the Israel Defense Forces announced on Sunday.

Ben-David, 43, headed the Commando Brigade’s tactical headquarters. He was from Eli in the Binyamin region of Samaria and was a first cousin of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who eulogized the fallen soldier.

“Amishar, my beloved cousin—I will do everything and work to the best of my ability against whoever I need so that with God’s help, we will completely destroy our enemies and not stop for a moment. Your death and the death of all our heroic soldiers will not be in vain,” Smotrich said.

His death brought to 248 the number of fallen soldiers since the start of Gaza ground operations on Oct. 27. Since Hamas launched its invasion of southern Israel on Oct. 7, 588 Israeli soldiers have fallen in total.

In central Gaza, Israeli forces killed 13 terrorists over the past day, and IDF fighter jets and artillery attacked the source of a launch from Gaza that was directed at Israeli troops.

IDF special forces continue to operate in Hamad City in northwestern Khan Yunis, as part of the “Crown of the West” operation to target terrorists entrenched there.

Elsewhere in Khan Yunis, 17 terrorists were killed in a series of strikes. IAF fighter jets also struck terrorist infrastructure in the areas of Jabalya and Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza overnight.