The IDF and Shin Bet announced in a joint statement on Sunday that Hamas terrorist Nemer Hamida was killed in the Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza. Hamida was involved in a deadly October 2003 terror attack that killed three IDF soldiers.
In a joint operation, the Israeli Air Force struck and eliminated around 20 Hamas terrorists from the Al-Shati Battalion. Among those killed was the terrorist responsible for the death of IDF soldier Sergeant First Class (res.) Tal Lahat, as well as Hamida.
In recent years, Hamida was part of Hamas' "West Bank Headquarters" Ramallah committee and played a role in the October 2003 terror attack in Ein Yabrud, which resulted in the deaths of three IDF soldiers: Sgt. Elad Polack, Sgt. Roy Yaakov Solomon, and Staff Sgt. Erez Idan.
The IDF extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers and pledged ongoing support.
Additionally, Ezz Aldeen Akila, a senior operative of the Shahada al-Aqsa terror organization, was also killed. Akila had been promoting terror attacks against IDF troops throughout the war.
Elad Polack's parents expressed relief at Hamida's elimination, calling it "closure" for their family. "There is satisfaction," said his father, Miki. "It doesn't bring back our son Elad, but it's always good to know that this terrorist will no longer live. We are closely following the negotiations for the release of the hostages and believe that if there is a chance to bring back hostages alive, even if it means releasing murderers, they should do it. The IDF and Shin Bet have proven they can reach these terrorists at any time. The priority now is to bring the hostages home."
Polack recalled the moment they decided to release Hamida as part of the 2011 deal for the release of captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. "When they asked my wife her opinion on releasing terrorists in exchange for Gilad Shalit, she said, 'If there's a chance for Gilad's mother to kiss and hug her son alive, I agree to the release,'" he shared.
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Sgt. Roy Yaakov Solomon, Staff Sgt. Erez Idan, Sgt. Elad Polack
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Hamida, a resident of the village of Mazar'a al-Sharqiya near the settlement of Harsha in the northern West Bank, was sentenced to six life terms in Israel. After being released as part of the Shalit deal, he was deported to Gaza.
Hamida was a member of the Mazar'a al-Sharqiya cell and participated in the shooting attack near the settlement of Shiloh that resulted in the murder of Gideon Lichtman. Lichtman's 6-year-old daughter, Moria, and reservist Tamir Dar, who was supposed to pick them up, were severely injured. Hamida also planned and executed additional attacks and expressed a desire to capture the bodies of soldiers.
In 2003, when Polack, Solomon and Idan were killed, their unit was conducting a routine foot patrol in the village of Ein Yabrud, near Ofra. The patrol was part of regular operations to secure movement along Route 60. Three Palestinian terrorists, armed with M-16 rifles and AK-47s, ambushed the unit from behind a low concrete wall near the route.
Shortly after 7:00 p.m., the terrorists opened fire from close range on the unit of four soldiers, hitting all of them. The terrorists approached Polack, Solomon and Idan, who were bleeding on the ground, and shot them again at point-blank range, stole their weapons and fled in a getaway vehicle.
The attack that killed Lichtman occurred in 2003, shortly before 10:00 p.m. on Memorial Day. Lichtman and his daughter were traveling in a Hyundai on the road from Ramallah to the Alon Junction in the Jordan Valley, heading toward the settlements of Rimonim and Kochav HaShachar. They were ambushed in a curve on the road. Not far from there, at the Alon Junction, Dar was waiting for a ride and heard the shooting. He ran toward the car and was seriously injured in the exchange of fire with the terrorists.
Lichtman, who was driving, exited the vehicle. Moria and the injured soldier were evacuated by an Israeli passerby to an IDF checkpoint near the settlement of Gitit and then to the hospital. Later, the car was found with about 10 bullet marks from AK-47 rifles, but Lichtman was not inside. Large forces from the IDF, police, and local emergency squads conducted searches for Lichtman. He was found about an hour later, 50 meters from the car, dead.