Israeli pause on strikes in Gaza suspends deadly hunt for October 7 terrorists

Israel's pause on strikes in Gaza has suspended its campaign to hunt down and kill October 7 terrorists. On Wednesday, a Hamas Nukhba Force member was captured at Kerem Shalom Crossing after being granted a permit by Shin Bet. The IDF and Shin Bet's Nili unit has killed around 2,800 of an estimated 5,000 perpetrators, with 300 captured. Targeted elimination strikes now require approval from IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. The pause followed a US-led Board of Peace roadmap for Hamas disarmament, which Netanyahu rejected. The last deadly strike was August 3 in Gaza City.

Israel's pause on strikes in Gaza has suspended its deadly campaign to hunt down and kill terrorists involved in the October 7, 2023 attack. On Wednesday, a Palestinian terrorist who invaded Israel during the onslaught was captured by Israeli troops at Kerem Shalom Crossing. The Hamas Nukhba Force member had requested a permit to deliver goods inside the Strip, granted by Shin Bet, and was apprehended upon arrival. Up until last week, he would likely have been targeted with deadly firepower as part of a special operation by the IDF and Shin Bet to eliminate all October 7 perpetrators. The joint unit, dubbed Nili, has worked for three years to identify and kill the thousands of Gazans allegedly involved, using facial recognition on video evidence. Of an estimated 5,000 terrorists, around 2,800 have been confirmed killed, and 300 captured awaiting military tribunals. The strikes stopped abruptly at the start of the month. On Tuesday, Israeli security sources said targeted elimination strikes now require prior approval from IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, previously approved by lower commanders. The pause came after the US-led Board of Peace published a roadmap for Hamas disarmament. Netanyahu rejected the plan on Sunday, but strikes had yet to resume. Zamir, touring Gaza on Wednesday, said the army would continue to operate proactively against Hamas.