The Israeli military has confirmed the killing of Asaad Abu Sharia, the leader of the Palestinian Mujahideen Militant Movement and its armed wing, the Mujahideen Brigades. Sharia was killed in a joint operation with Israel’s Shin Bet security agency on Saturday. His death, along with that of his brother Ahmed Abu Sharia, was confirmed by the militant group after an Israeli airstrike hit their family home in Gaza City’s Sabra area, resulting in at least 15 deaths and several injuries.
According to the Israeli military, Sharia was among the militant leaders who stormed Kibbutz Nir Oz, a small Israeli community near the Gaza border, where many residents were killed or taken hostage during the October 7, 2023, attack. The Mujahideen Brigades took part in the attacks alongside Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups, taking hostage some high-profile captives, including a family whose suffering became a symbol of the attack.
Sharia was directly involved in the abduction and murders of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas, a mother and two sons who were among the most recognizable victims of the attack. Reacting to Sharia’s killing, the Bibas family expressed their “heartfelt gratitude” to the Israeli military, saying his death was “another step on the journey towards closure.” They added, “While Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir cannot be brought back, we find some measure of comfort knowing these despicable murderers will not harm another family”.
The Israeli military also stated that Sharia was involved in the abduction of the Israeli-American couple Gad Haggai and Judi Lynn Weinstein Haggai, and the abduction and killing of Thai national Nattapong Pinta. The body of Nattapong was recovered from southern Gaza in a military operation on Friday. Israel believes the Mujahideen Brigades are still holding the body of an additional foreign national, despite the group previously denying killing its captives.