In a joint operation carried out earlier today (Saturday) in Gaza City, the IDF and ISA (Shin Bet) killed terrorist Asa’ad Abu Shari’a. In recent years, AbuShari’a served as the head of the Kataeb al-Mujahideen terror group in the Gaza Strip. He took part in the October 7 assault on Kibbutz Nir Oz and was one of the leaders of the massacre. He was directly involved in the kidnapping and murder of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas z”l.
Abu Shari’a was also involved in the abduction of Gad Haggai and Judy Weinstein z”l, as well as in the kidnapping and murder of Thai national Netpong Pinta z”l and another foreign citizen still held captive in Gaza.
Recruiting Terror Operatives Inside Israel and the West Bank
As head of the organization, Abu Sharaya worked to recruit operatives in Judea and Samaria and within Israel. Through them, he promoted and carried out terrorist attacks. During the war, his organization was involved in plotting attacks against Israel and fighting IDF troops operating in Gaza.
In a separate operation, Israeli forces also killed Mahmoud Muhammad Hamed Kahil, another terrorist affiliated with Kataeb al-Mujahideen. He too took part in the October 7 assault on Nir Oz and was involved in holding Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas in captivity in Gaza.
Played a Major Role in the Massacre
The IDF stated that terrorists from the Kataeb al-Mujahideen group played a significant role in the October 7 massacre. In addition to carrying out kidnappings and murders, they operated independently of Hamas command, exploiting Hamas’s infrastructure and plans inside Israeli territory.
The IDF Spokesperson said: “The IDF and ISA will continue to act decisively to identify and eliminate all terrorists from various organizations who took part in the murderous October 7 massacre and in the captivity of Israeli hostages in Gaza.”
