The IDF has killed a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist, Mahmoud Fatair, a commander in the PIJ's Central Gaza Brigade who infiltrated Israel on October 7 and took part in holding Rom Braslavski hostage, the military confirmed on Monday.
According to the statement, the IDF conducted strikes in the Deir al-Balah area in Gaza over the weekend, targeting and killing Fatair.
More recently, the Fatair had reportedly attempted to advance terror attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians.
In November 2023, as part of the sixth phase of the hostage release agreement, Fatair was documented wearing the Islamic Jihad uniform while participating in the hostage handover ceremony of numerous hostages, including Amit Shani, Ofir Engel, Moran Stela Yanai, Itay Regev, Liam Or-Nassar, Raz Ben Ami, Rantin Phaiboon, Gong Sae Lao, Seekena Jakkapan, and Saegkaew Charoemchai.
Braslavski responds to Fatair’s killing
Following the IDF’s announcement, Braslavski posted a video to his X/Twitter account in response to the news of Fatair’s killing.
Speaking in Arabic, Braslavski addressed living Hamas and PIJ terrorists who participated in the October 7th attacks and the Gaza hostage crisis.
"The IDF has killed another one who destroyed my soul.” Braslavski said.
“You did whatever you wanted, but now you are dying one after the other – and there will be none of you left," He added.
“The people of Israel live.”
Braslavski's time in captivity
Braslavski was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival on October 7.
While working as a security guard at the festival, he fought off terrorists with stones before he was taken.
He was released in a hostage exchange in October, 2025, after 738 days of captivity by PIJ terrorists.
Following his release, he was the first male hostage to reveal that he had been sexually abused during the period in which he was held in Gaza.
“They stripped me of all my clothes, my underwear, everything. They tied me up while I was completely naked. I was torn apart, dying, with no food. It was sexual violence, and its main purpose was to humiliate me," he said during an interview with N12.
IDF strikes Hamas commanders
Later on Monday, the IDF announced that additional strikes on the Gaza Strip on Sunday killed two terrorists from Hamas' military wing: Abdallah Adnan Taha Abu al-Tayf, a Nukhba commander, and Jalal Tsubeih, a commander in the Daraj Tuffah Battalion.
Abu al-Tayf reportedly infiltrated Israeli territory during the October 7 Massacre, and, throughout the war, actively participated in combat against IDF troops.