The Israel Defense Forces reports eliminating a Hamas leader who allegedly played a role in the October 7 kidnapping of an American-Israeli hostage and three others from a roadside bomb shelter.
Military officials identified the target as Yousef Ayesh Awad Ramadan, a leader within Hamas’s Nukhba force. The IDF states that Ramadan was involved in capturing American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, along with Eliya Cohen, Alon Ohel and Or Levy, after the four individuals had taken shelter during the Hamas-led assault near Re’im Junction.
Video evidence that spread across social media platforms captured Goldberg-Polin being transported in a vehicle following a grenade blast that had injured his arm while he remained in the protective shelter.
Military sources indicate that Ramadan had been developing “advanced attack plans against IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians” throughout the conflict and in recent periods. The IDF characterized him as a continuing danger to military personnel conducting operations in Gaza.
The operation was launched after intelligence reports suggested immediate risk from Hamas fighters in the region, according to military officials.
The IDF reports that two Hamas militants who were targeted during the mission had tried to assault Israeli troops before the strike was executed. Military leaders described the response as targeted strikes against the threat.
“Prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance,” the IDF said.
The announcement of Ramadan’s elimination prompted a public statement from Alon Ohel, one of the individuals taken hostage from the Re’im Junction shelter.
Ohel, who gained freedom in October 2025 through the Gaza ceasefire agreement, responded to the military action through an Instagram message.
He encouraged the military to maintain its operations against Hamas and called on the IDF to persist in fighting “until the last terrorist.”
