A Hamas terrorist behind a deadly 2004 double suicide bombing and a sniper commander in the terror group who committed several fatal attacks on IDF troops in the Gaza Strip during the war were killed in recent airstrikes, the military announced on Wednesday.

The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security agency said that Basel Himouni, a prominent Hamas member from the West Bank city of Hebron, was targeted on February 4 as part of a series of Israeli airstrikes against terror operatives in response to an attack by gunmen on troops in the Strip’s north. One reservist officer was seriously wounded in the attack in northern Gaza.

In August 2004, Himouni dispatched two suicide bombers to carry out simultaneous attacks on two buses in Beersheba.

The attacks killed 16 Israeli civilians and wounded over 100.

Himouni was captured in October 2004 and sentenced to prison, but was released and exiled to Gaza in a 2011 deal in which Israel exchanged 1,027 terror convicts for captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.

The military and Shin Bet said that after his release from Israeli custody, Himouni “returned to recruiting attackers and directing terrorist activity.”

Palestinian media reports: Hamas terrorist Basel Al-Himouni was eliminated in an IAF strike in Gaza on Wednesday.

Himouni was released from........

© The Times of Israel