IDF Neutralizes Nukhba Terrorist Responsible for October 7 Netiv Ha’asara Massacre

Israeli forces have successfully targeted and eliminated Ahmed Fozi Nazer Muhammad Wadia, the Hamas terrorist who orchestrated the brutal Oct. 7 assault on the moshav of Netiv Ha’asara in the northwest Negev. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency confirmed on Tuesday that Wadia was killed during an airstrike on a Hamas compound near the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City.

The strike, carried out by Israeli fighter jets, also resulted in the deaths of eight other Hamas terrorists from the Daraj Tuffah Battalion. Wadia, a member of Hamas’s elite Nukhba force, led the invasion of Netiv Ha’asara, which is located directly adjacent to the Gaza border. The IDF revealed that Wadia was actively involved in Hamas' parachute operations, using a paraglider to infiltrate the moshav where he oversaw the massacre of 21 Israeli residents and the kidnapping of another.

One of the terrorists killed alongside Wadia was identified as being responsible for key combat operations within the Daraj Tuffah Battalion, including engineering, sniping, and anti-tank tactics. This individual also supplied the explosives used to breach the security fence during the Oct. 7 attack.

Among the victims of the Netiv Ha’asara massacre was Gil Taasa, a 46-year-old senior firefighter from the Ashkelon fire station. On that fateful morning, Taasa was at home with his two youngest sons, Koren, 12, and Shay, 8. After exhausting his ammunition, Taasa heroically shielded his children from a grenade thrown into their shelter, sacrificing his life to save them. Despite their injuries, Koren and Shay survived and managed to flee to safety.

A disturbing video later emerged showing Wadia opening the Taasa family’s refrigerator, casually sipping a Coke while the children lay wounded nearby. Koren and Shay were able to escape and hide in a neighbor’s safe room until they were rescued.

Wadia’s death brings a sense of closure for some of the victims' families. "My sons are happy and that’s the most important thing," said Gil Taasa’s widow, Sabin Tassa, upon hearing the news. She added, "My son Koren told me he wanted to see a picture of [Wadia] dead. I personally will close the circle only after I know that all Hamas members and [Hamas leader in Gaza Yayha] Sinwar have been eliminated."

The elimination of Wadia marks a significant achievement in Israel's ongoing efforts to dismantle Hamas’s leadership and operational capabilities, particularly in response to the atrocities committed on October 7.

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