IDF: Killed Rafah Brigade Commander Held Hadar Goldin’s Body and Israeli Hostages

The IDF Spokesperson and the Shin Bet spokesperson confirmed this evening (Saturday night) that "following extensive intelligence research conducted by the agencies, the IDF and Shin Bet reveal that the Rafah Brigade commander, the terrorist Nail Abu Ubaid, who was eliminated this week in the Gaza Strip, was involved in the abduction and detention of IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians for years and during the war."

The statement said that in 2014, Nail Abu Ubaid was the deputy commander of the Rafah Brigade and took part in holding Lt. Hadar Goldin, of blessed memory, captive by Hamas. Throughout the war, Abu Ubaid took part in holding several hostages, including Staff Sgt. Nimrod Cohen, in an underground facility in the Rafah area.

According to security officials, the elimination of the terrorist Abu Ubaid marks an important closing of the circle for the IDF and Shin Bet, which will continue to act forcefully against the terrorists who took part in the October 7 massacre. It should be noted that the elimination of the Rafah Brigade commander joins a series of eliminations of senior Hamas officials in recent months.

The IDF Spokesperson in Arabic, Lt. Col. Ella Waweya, said: "Over the past three weeks, 29 Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives have been eliminated in the Gaza Strip. Eight of them were eliminated in the past week, including the brigade commanders of Jabalia, Rafah and Khan Yunis.

Meanwhile, Palestinians reported today that Bashir Munir al-Barsh, the son of Dr. Munir al-Barsh, the director general of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, was killed in an Israeli strike west of the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.

The IDF Spokesperson added this evening that the IDF struck in the Khan Yunis area two days ago and eliminated the terrorist Mohammed Suleiman Bayouk, a commander in Hamas’s military wing. The terrorist infiltrated Israeli territory during the October 7 massacre. During the war, and particularly in recent months, he worked to plant explosive devices throughout the Gaza Strip with the aim of harming our forces.

The terrorist advanced terror plans against IDF forces and Israeli civilians and worked to increase the operational readiness of the organization’s terrorists and rebuild its capabilities, while systematically violating the ceasefire. The terrorist was eliminated to remove the threat he posed.