Israeli forces killed two senior commanders of the Salafi terrorist faction Mujahideen Brigades in separate airstrikes Saturday in Gaza City, the IDF and Shin Bet security agency announced.
The two—As'ad Abu Sharaiya, the group’s leader, and senior field commander Mahmoud Muhammad Hamid Kuhail, known by his call sign Abu al-Mu'tasim—were directly involved in the deadly October 7, 2023, assault on Kibbutz Nir Oz and in the kidnapping and killing of multiple Israeli and foreign civilians.
According to the IDF and Shin Bet, Abu Sharaiya helped orchestrate the attack on Nir Oz, where he was involved in the kidnapping and murder of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir. He was also linked to the abduction and killing of American-Israeli couple Gad Haggai and Judi Weinstein-Haggai, whose bodies were recovered on Thursday, and Thai national Nattapong Pinta, whose remains were retrieved earlier Saturday. The group is still believed to be holding the remains of another foreign national.
Abu Sharaiya, who had led the group for several years, was also responsible for recruiting operatives in the West Bank and inside Israel to carry out attacks, officials said. During the current war, his organization played a key role in coordinating attacks against Israeli forces operating in Gaza.
Mahmoud Kuhail was killed in a separate Israeli airstrike, having also taken part in the October 7 raid on Nir Oz. Israeli authorities said he was involved in holding the Bibas family hostage in Gaza. The IDF and Shin Bet added that Mujahideen Brigades operatives were responsible for abductions and killings independent of Hamas leadership but aligned with Hamas' terror goals.
The Mujahideen Brigades, in a statement of mourning, confirmed Kuhail's death and claimed that his wife, children, father and brother were also killed in the strike. The group praised him as a "commander and fighter" who died defending “religion and Palestine” in what it called a “cowardly Zionist assassination.”
The Mujahideen Brigades, established during the early months of the Second Intifada in 2001, originally operated under the Fatah movement before breaking away. Its ranks include former members of Fatah’s armed wing, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, and were once led by Omar Abu-Sharia, who Israel tried to assassinate unsuccessfully in 2006. However, he succumbed to his wounds several months later. The group espouses a radical Salafi ideology, advocating a return to what it considers Islam’s roots through violent action.
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In a previous statement, the Mujahideen Brigades falsely claimed that Shiri Bibas and her children had died in an Israeli airstrike. However, following the identification and repatriation of Ariel and Kfir’s bodies in a February hostage deal, the IDF confirmed they were brutally murdered in captivity in November 2023.
The Bibas family, in a statement following news of the strike, said: “The elimination of the terror group’s commander marks another step in the painful closure we seek after losing Shiri, Ariel and Kfir. While they will never return, we find some comfort in knowing these vile murderers can no longer harm others. We thank the IDF and security forces for their bravery and dedication.”
The IDF and Shin Bet said the recovery of Pinta’s body was made possible through "precise intelligence" obtained during the interrogation of a captured terrorist. This intelligence led to search and recovery operations coordinated with the Hostage Task Force and Military Intelligence Directorate. The operation was carried out by Southern Command, led by the Gaza Division, and included elite units such as the Oketz K9 unit, the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit and multiple intelligence teams.
According to Israeli officials, the Mujahideen Brigades continue to hold the remains of at least one additional foreign national.