The IDF and Shin Bet issued a joint statement on Friday confirming the military has eliminated Nidal Al-Najar, the head of Hamas' Aerial Unit in Gaza City and Aerial Defense Unit in the Strip.
“Al-Najar was one of the masterminds of the aerial infiltration into Israel on October 7. Moreover, throughout the war, Al-Najar was one of the leaders of the attacks against the State of Israel and IDF troops operating in central Gaza, including by means of explosive drone and UAV attacks toward IDF troops,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said in a statement.
The IDF’s operation in the Palestinian enclave against Hamas forces continues against the backdrop of a proposed cease-fire and hostage deal agreement offered by Egypt.
An Egyptian senior official told Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth on Thursday that the new plan includes a gradual cessation of fighting in Gaza with the Israeli side withdrawing from the Rafah crossing, resulting in a preliminary 60-day cease-fire.
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About a week after the temporary cease-fire comes into effect, according to the Egyptian senior official, living Israeli hostages will be returned in exchange for hundreds of terrorists from Israeli prisons. During the 60-day cease-fire, Israel will maintain a military presence in Gaza. The proposal also deals with the possibility of Palestinian refugees returning to the northern Strip, as Hamas demands.