IDF Confirms Killing of Two Hamas Commanders — Oct. 7 Hostage-Holder Mushtaha and Khan Younis Cmdr Qawari

The IDF announced on August 14, 2026 that it had killed Hudhaifa Khaled Suleiman Qawari, a company commander in Hamas's Khan Younis Brigade, in an aerial strike in the southern Gaza Strip. The military said Qawari had been involved in training Hamas fighters, transporting weapons, and working to rebuild the group's capabilities, and that he "recently advanced terror attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians," justifying the strike as self-defense during the ceasefire under provisions permitting Israeli operations against imminent threats. Precise munitions and aerial surveillance were used to reduce civilian harm, the IDF said. Separately, the military also confirmed it had killed Muhammad Bassam Mushtaha, a commander in Hamas's Al-Shati battalion, in a northern Gaza airstrike on July 30, 2026 — only revealing the strike two weeks later. Mushtaha had held custody of multiple Israelis kidnapped on October 7, 2023, including Tsachi Idan and Cpl. Noa Marciano (both killed in captivity) and Ziv Berman, Omri Miran, Ori Megidish, Naama Levy, and Matan Angrest (all later freed or rescued). The dual announcements are part of what the Times of Israel described as an escalating Israeli campaign of retribution strikes targeting every participant in the October 7 attack.