The Media Line: IDF Says It Killed Hamas Commander Involved in Hersh Goldberg-Polin Kidnapping  

IDF Says It Killed Hamas Commander Involved in Hersh Goldberg-Polin Kidnapping  

By The Media Line Staff  

An Israeli military operation in Gaza has killed a Hamas commander accused of participating in the October 7 abduction of four hostages from a roadside shelter near Re’im Junction, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced.  

The military identified him as Yousef Ayesh Awad Ramadan, a commander in Hamas’s Nukhba force. According to the IDF, Ramadan took part in the kidnapping of American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin along with Eliya Cohen, Alon Ohel and Or Levy after the four sought refuge in a bomb shelter during the Hamas-led attack.  

Footage of the abduction, circulating widely on social media, showed Goldberg-Polin being taken away in a truck after a grenade explosion had severed his arm while he was inside the shelter.  

According to the military, Ramadan had “advanced attack plans against IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians” during the war and in recent weeks. The IDF said he posed an ongoing threat to forces operating in Gaza.  

The military said the strike followed intelligence indicating an immediate danger from Hamas members in the area.  

According to the IDF, two Hamas operatives targeted in the operation attempted to attack Israeli soldiers before the strike was carried out. The military said the threat led to what it described as precision strikes against them.  

“Prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance,” the IDF said.  

News of Ramadan’s death drew a public response from Alon Ohel, one of the hostages abducted from the Re’im Junction shelter.  

Ohel, who was released in October 2025 as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal, addressed the operation in a post on Instagram.  

He called on the military to continue its campaign against Hamas and urged the IDF to continue fighting “until the last terrorist.”