Israeli security forces eliminated Farah Hamed in an airstrike in Gaza on Wednesday, a Hamas military wing terrorist who was involved in multiple terror attacks that killed Israeli soldiers and civilians. The operation was carried out jointly by the Shin Bet, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and the Gideon Unit 33 in Lahav 433.
1+According to a joint statement from the Shin Bet, IDF Spokesperson, and Israel Police, Hamed previously served as a senior figure in Hamas’s “‘West Bank’ Headquarters” infrastructure and took part in combat against IDF forces during the war. In recent years, he advanced terror operations in Judea and Samaria, and for years was a member of the “Silwad cell.”
Among the attacks Hamed participated in were a shooting near the Rimonim Junction in November 2002, in which civilian Esther Galia Atiya was murdered; a shooting on Route 60 in June 2003, in which civilian Zvi (Howard) Goldstein was murdered; and a shooting on the Alon Road in Samaria in August 2003, in which civilian Shalom Har Melech was murdered.
1+Hamed also participated in a shooting attack in Ein Yabrud in October 2003, in which three IDF soldiers fell: Staff Sergeant Elad Pollak, Staff Sergeant Roy Yaakov Solomon, and Sergeant First Class Erez Idan.
Hamed was arrested and released to Gaza in 2011 as part of the Shalit deal. Since then, he has continued to belong to Hamas’s military wing and has been involved in recruiting operatives and directing them to advance attacks in Judea and Samaria.
Security officials said that before the strike, steps were taken to minimize the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precision munitions and aerial surveillance. The Shin Bet, IDF, and police said they will continue to act to protect Israeli citizens and security forces and to remove threats in the area.