Israel steps up campaign to kill all 5,000 Oct. 7 terrorists; 1,200 were killed on the day, 1,500 so far since
Times of Israel analysis shows sharp increase, despite Gaza truce, in strikes targeting those who participated in the massacre or held and abused hostages; 300 more have been captured
By Emanuel Fabian
16 July 2026, 10:57 am
While driving in the central Israeli city of Rosh Ha’ayin in late June, eight months after being freed from captivity in the Gaza Strip, former hostage Rom Braslavski received a phone call from a military officer.
“We wanted to update you that Abu Yousef, Talal Abd al-Aal, was eliminated,” the officer said to Braslavski, referring to a Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander who held and abused him during his two years in captivity by the terror group.
“You can’t be serious,” Braslavski replied.
“Wow, I can’t believe it. Wait a second, I have to pull over for something like this,” Braslavski said, bursting into tears. “Are you serious? You are 100% sure?”
As with other announcements of strikes in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces declared in an official statement released soon after that it had killed al-Aal, an Islamic Jihad commander who held hostages and commanded terrorists as they invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, because he had “posed an immediate threat” to troops in the Strip.
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https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-stepping-up-campaign-to-hunt-and-kill-every-oct-7-terrorist-despite-gaza-truce/amp/“I’m very serious. You have no idea how happy I am, how excited I am, for you,” the officer said.
