IDF Confirms Strike Killed Islamic Jihad Commander Who Abducted a Be'eri Resident on Oct. 7

The IDF confirmed August 18, 2026 that an Israeli strike in the Khan Younis area of Gaza on August 16 killed Tareq Anwar Khamis Ra'i, described as a company commander in Palestinian Islamic Jihad's supply unit. The military said Khamis Ra'i infiltrated Kibbutz Be'eri during the October 7, 2023 massacre and took part in abducting an Israeli civilian, and that he had 'recently advanced terror attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians' before being targeted. The IDF said precautions including precise munitions and aerial surveillance were taken to mitigate harm to civilians before the strike. The elimination is the latest confirmed kill in the IDF-Shin Bet 'Nili' campaign to hunt down every participant in the October 7 attack and hostage-taking, which officers have said is working through a list of roughly 5,000 people involved in the assault.