Israeli forces killed Mahmoud Fatair, a commander in Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Nukhba elite force, during a strike over the weekend in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, the military confirmed Monday.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, Fatair infiltrated Israel during the October 7, 2023, attack and took part in holding Israeli hostage Rom Braslavski while he was in captivity in Gaza. The slain terrorist kidnapped 19-year-old Rom Braslavski, who was tortured and sexually assaulted by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists during his long captivity.
Braslavski, now 22, welcomed the announcement. Following the IDF’s announcement, Braslavski posted a video to his X/Twitter account in response to the news of Fatair’s killing, speaking in Arabic and addressing living Hamas and PIJ terrorists who participated in the October 7th attacks and the Gaza hostage crisis.
“The IDF has killed another one who destroyed my soul,” Braslavski said.
He continued his message with a stark vow to the remaining operatives. “You did whatever you wanted, but now you are dying one after the other – and there will be none of you left,” he added.
Braslavski, who learned Arabic during his two years in Gaza, had a yellow ribbon on his microphone in the video, which symbolized the struggle to free the hostages.
The former hostage elaborated on the psychological toll of his captivity. “Yes, you were criminals, and yes, I was weak while with you, and you did whatever you wanted,” he said. “But now, you are being killed one after the other, and not even one will be left of you.”
Braslavski was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival on October 7. While working as a security guard at the festival, he fought off terrorists with stones before he was taken.
The IDF justified the strike despite the ongoing ceasefire. The IDF said that Fatair had been advancing attacks on troops and Israeli civilians, and he was “eliminated to remove the threat.”
The terrorist had appeared in public after the massacre. In November 2023, during the release of Israeli hostages, Fatair was seen “participating in the hostage handover ceremony of numerous hostages,” including Amit Shani, Ofir Engel, Moran Stela Yanai, Itay Regev, Liam Or-Nassar, Raz Ben Ami, Rantin Phaiboon, Gong Sae Lao, Seekena Jakkapan and Saegkaew Charoemchai.
In the viral moment underlying this week’s announcement, on October 7, 2023, Fatair and other Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives invaded Israel during a coordinated assault that killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages into Gaza. Fatair and his unit targeted the Nova Music Festival near Re’im, kidnapping attendees as they fled the onslaught. Among those he seized was Braslavski, who was working security at the festival and had fought back against the invaders before being overpowered and dragged across the border. For the next two years, Braslavski remained in Islamic Jihad custody under Fatair’s guard, where he endured abuse and torture. His case became emblematic of the hostage crisis that consumed Israel’s political and social landscape. Braslavski was finally released on October 13, as part of a hostage-ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that secured the freedom of remaining captives held in Gaza.
Braslavski remained one of the few hostages released who continued to call publicly for the elimination of his captors. He was released as part of a prisoner-hostage swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Reim, Israel on October 13.
The killing came amid a series of operations targeting October 7 participants. Nearly three years after the October 7 massacre, the Israeli military and security forces continue to hunt down and eliminate the terrorists responsible, and the IDF scored major operational success over the weekend, taking out several senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists involved in the attack.
The IDF continues operations under its stated mandate to pursue those responsible for the October 7 massacre.