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 announced on Monday.

The military said 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.

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 said Monday.

In an interview after his release in February 2025, Shem Tov said he was held in a cell 40 meters (130 feet) underground, where he was often in total darkness. He survived on little more than a biscuit daily, he said — dropping from around 80 kilograms (176 pounds) to 55 kilograms (121 pounds).

“There were times I thought, I’m blind. I have been starved. I have been spat on. I’ve been cursed. Difficult, difficult times,” Shem Tov said last year.

שימו לבעומר 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

שימו לבעומר שם טוב לא העניק נשיקה מרצונו החופשי והאמיתי למחבלים סביבו. שימו לב לסרטון – הצלם של הזרוע הצבאית של חמאס........

© The Times of Israel