The Israel Defense Forces announced late Thursday that it had eliminated a Hamas platoon commander who infiltrated Israeli territory during the October 7, 2023 attack.
Nihad Arouq, a platoon commander in Hamas's Shati Battalion, was killed in a precise airstrike Thursday morning in the northern Gaza Strip, according to the military.
"The terrorist posed a threat to our forces operating in the Gaza Strip and was eliminated in a precise aerial strike," The IDF said in a statement.
The military said Arouq participated in the October 7 attack on southern Israel and, throughout the war including in recent months, trained Hamas operatives and worked to advance attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians.
The IDF noted that troops under Southern Command remain deployed in the area in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue operating to eliminate threats as necessary.
The Israeli military has intensified strikes in Gaza in recent months, targeting individuals who participated in the October 7 attacks, citing ongoing threats to Israeli forces.