IDF Kills Hamas Member Linked to 2023 Abduction and Dismantles Eight Tunnels

The IDF said on Thursday that it killed several terrorists, including one who participated in the abduction of Mia Schem on Oct. 7, 2023. The individual was eliminated on April 29 after intelligence analysis confirmed his identity, according to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.

The statement identified the individual as a Hamas member who operated as a paramedic and led attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians. It said he participated in the abduction of Schem from the area of Mefalsim. Schem, who was 21 years old at the time, was taken from the grounds of the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im and was shot in the arm at point-blank range.

After three days in captivity she was forced to undergo surgery for the wound. For days she received no painkillers and had to replace her own bandages. She was released after 55 days.

Separately, the IDF said it struck a command center in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday where armed Hamas members posed an imminent threat to troops. Several terrorists were killed in the strike. The military reported that steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance.

Reservists from the Gaza Division’s Negev Infantry Brigade have been working for months to clear the area of terrorist infrastructure. Those troops and the Yahalom Unit, an elite force from the Combat Engineering Corps, dismantled eight tunnels spanning 2.5 kilometers, or 1.5 miles, that had been used by Hamas.

The Paratroopers Brigade is set to replace the Negev Brigade in the area in the near future.