Maariv: Israel Pursues the 'Killers' of the Highest Ranking Officer Killed and Captured in the October 7 Attack

Translation by SadaNews - The Hebrew newspaper Maariv revealed details on Friday regarding the assassination of Hussam Al-Shafie, a member of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, who was killed last Tuesday in an airstrike on a tent in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

According to the newspaper, translated by SadaNews, Al-Shafie is one of four members of Al-Qassam who participated in the killing and kidnapping of the body of the highest-ranking Israeli officer killed and captured during the October 7, 2023 attack.

Colonel Asaf Hamami, commander of the southern brigade of the Gaza Division, was at kibbutz Nirim east of Khan Younis when the attack occurred and attempted to engage with Al-Qassam operatives.

The newspaper cited an Israeli intelligence officer responsible for eliminating Al-Shafie, who stated that Al-Shafie was directly responsible for killing Hamami by firing directly at him before kidnapping his body and transferring it into Gaza.

The officer mentioned that the pursuit of the participants in the attack, numbering four, is still ongoing.

She revealed that the operation to track down Al-Shafie lasted for two weeks intensively, and when there was confirmed information that he was responsible for Hamami's death, it motivated her team to reach him and intensify surveillance in preparation for his assassination.

She stated, "We are pursuing the remaining members of the cell... we have an open account with them, and we are working diligently around the clock to reach each one of them, and no one is safe from the pursuit, despite the difficulty of the search operation." She added: "It may seem simple, but it is an unbearable intelligence work; however, the bottom line is that as soon as the operational and intelligence conditions are favorable, we will complete the operation and eliminate them."