Overview
- Israeli forces said they eliminated Zaki Youssef Mahmoud Abu Mustafa in a precise strike in southern Gaza and accused him of taking part in the Oct. 7 abduction of Israeli child Yagil Yaakov, citing a photo recovered by the military.
- In a separate strike the IDF said it killed Mohammed Osama Abd al-Aziz Saba al-Eish, whom officials described as a Hamas Nukhba trainer and recruiter.
- The military asserted that Abu Mustafa had been involved in rebuilding Islamic Jihad’s military infrastructure and that militants had attempted to train fighters inside Nasser Hospital.
- Officials said they used precision munitions, aerial surveillance and other measures to reduce civilian harm and that Southern Command troops remain deployed to counter immediate threats.
- Independent, on‑the‑ground verification of the strikes and the intelligence claims is limited and the actions form part of an ongoing campaign to degrade commanders, finance and technical networks tied to Oct. 7 with potential risks of renewed clashes.