{"id":524078,"date":"2026-07-03T23:35:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T23:35:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/524078\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T23:35:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T23:35:17","slug":"idf-says-it-killed-hamas-terrorist-who-abducted-tank-officer-daniel-perez-held-hostages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/524078\/","title":{"rendered":"IDF says it killed Hamas terrorist who abducted tank officer Daniel Perez, held hostages"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet announced Friday that a Hamas terrorist who abducted IDF officer Cpt. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/cpt-daniel-perez-22-south-african-immigrant-and-tank-commander\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Daniel Perez<\/a> during the October 7, 2023, onslaught and later held <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/unaccounted-for-heavy-metal-drummer-yotam-haim-from-kfar-aza\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Yotam Haim<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/taken-captive-samar-fouad-talalka-working-in-nir-am-hen-house\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Samar Talalka<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/alon-shamriz-26-student-snooker-player-and-a-magical-kid\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alon Shamriz<\/a> in captivity, was killed in a strike in the northern Gaza Strip this week.<\/p>\n<p>The strike on Wednesday killed Muhammad Na\u2019im Jandiya, identified by the IDF as the chief of security in Hamas\u2019s Shejaiya Battalion.<\/p>\n<p>The military said that on October 7, Jandiya was the commander of a Nukhba Force cell that raided Nahal Oz and took part in abducting the body of Perez, a tank commander.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, he was among the \u201cprominent masked operatives\u201d who led the Hamas hostage handover ceremonies last year, according to the military.<\/p>\n<p>Recently, as part of his senior role in the Shejaiya Battalion, Jandiya worked to advance attacks against troops stationed in the Strip, the IDF said.<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\tGet The Times of Israel&#8217;s Daily Edition<br \/>\n\t\t\tby email and never miss our top stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/terms\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">terms<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Perez\u2019s father, Rabbi Doron Perez, said in a statement on behalf of the family that \u201cthe privilege to live in an independent Jewish state, that is able to protect its citizens, and to hunt those who harm them and to fight for justice, is a privilege of deep significance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/333333.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3249708\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/333333.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\"\/><\/a><br \/>\n\t\tFrom left to right: Hostages Yotam Haim, Samar Talalka and Alon Lulu Shamriz, who were mistakenly killed by IDF troops in Gaza on December 15, 2023. (Courtesy)<\/p>\n<p>Perez was stationed near the Gaza border, and he and his tank crew fought for hours against the Hamas invasion of the Nahal Oz IDF outpost until Perez was killed alongside Sgt. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/sgt-tomer-leibovitz-19-star-athlete-who-volunteered-for-combat\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tomer Leibovitz<\/a> and Staff Sgt. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/liveblog_entry\/parents-of-sgt-itay-chen-say-they-cannot-grieve-until-they-are-sure-their-son-is-dead\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Itay Chen<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The bodies of Perez and Chen were taken captive to Gaza, while their comrade <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/taken-captive-matan-angrest-turned-21-while-held-hostage-in-gaza-strip\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Matan Angrest<\/a> was captured alive and taken to the Strip and freed on October 13, 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Shamriz\u2019s brothers, in response to the IDF announcement, said \u201cthe world is a slightly better place\u201d without Jandiya.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo act will bring back our hero Alon to us, and no elimination can erase the pain and the void that has opened up in our lives,\u201d Yonatan and Ido Shamriz said in a joint statement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the same time, without this despicable terrorist, the world is a slightly better place. We hope that every terrorist will find their death as quickly as possible. We choose to continue to commemorate Alon\u2019s life, the person he was, and to hold on to the values he left us,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n<p>Haim and Shamriz were both abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Talaka was abducted from Nir Am, another community near the Gaza border. The three managed to escape their Hamas captors in December 2023 but were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/idf-troops-mistakenly-open-fire-and-kill-3-hostages-in-northern-gaza-battlefield\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">shot dead by IDF troops <\/a>as they approached them, hoping to make it to safety.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">????ELIMINATED: Muhammad Na\u2019im Jandiya, the Head of Military Security in Hamas\u2019 Shuja&#8217;iyya Battalion. <\/p>\n<p>During the October 7 Massacre, Jandiya served as the commander of a Nukhba terrorist cell that infiltrated Kibbutz Nahal Oz and took part in the abduction of the late Captain\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/uf2EW8R1l4\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/uf2EW8R1l4<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/IDF\/status\/2072952176284950767?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow\">July 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The IDF has for more than two and a half years sought out and targeted terrorists involved in the October 7 attack, which killed 1,200 people, saw 251 people taken hostage and launched the Gaza war.\n<\/p>\n<p>In recent months, the military has been ramping up strikes on terror operatives in Gaza, saying they posed a threat to Israeli forces.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this week, the IDF said it had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/have-fun-in-hell-idf-kills-islamic-jihad-man-who-held-rom-braslavski-hostage-abused-him\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">killed three senior terror operatives<\/a> in Gaza, including figures closely involved in the October 7 attack, one of whom subsequently held Israeli captives whom terrorists kidnapped during the rampage.<\/p>\n<p>The IDF has continued to operate in areas of Gaza it controls and carry out strikes amid sporadic exchanges of fire.<\/p>\n<p>Alongside the strikes across Gaza, the IDF has slowly been pushing out the boundaries of the area inside the enclave still under its control, saying it now controls at least 60 percent of the Strip, rather than the roughly 53% following its pullback on the first day of the truce. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month he had ordered the military to retake additional territory, amounting to 70% of the enclave.<\/p>\n<p>\t<a href=\"https:\/\/static-cdn.toi-media.com\/www\/uploads\/2026\/06\/00014.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-3850125\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/00014-640x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"375\"\/><\/a><br \/>\n\t\tDefense Minister Israel Katz speaks at a cadets\u2019 graduation ceremony at the Bahad 1 officers\u2019 school in southern Israel, June 25, 2026. (Screenshot\/Israel Defense Forces)<\/p>\n<p>On Thursday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said he was updated on an assessment that the military has demolished 83% of the Hamas tunnels in the IDF-held portion of the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n<p>The assessment with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and other top officers was held to mark 1,000 days since the October 7 onslaught.<\/p>\n<p>In the areas not controlled by Israel, Hamas remains in place as the enclave\u2019s de facto government, as power will only be handed over to a transitional authority once the terror group agrees to give up its weapons.<\/p>\n<p>Although battered by war, the terror group is reported to be maintaining its control over the Strip by executing its opponents and those it views as posing a threat to its rule.<\/p>\n<p>On Thursday, Hamas said it executed a Gaza resident accused of collaborating with Israel. The man is identified only by the initials M.M.<\/p>\n<p>According to the statement, the man collaborated with Israel and assisted in the killing of several senior Hamas figures, including the head of Hamas\u2019s military wing, Izz al-Din Haddad, who was killed last May.<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tWe can&#8217;t do this work alone.\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"200\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Untitled-design-4-200x200.jpg\" class=\"attachment-square size-square wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident \u2013 ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded \u2013 I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.<\/p>\n<p>There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.<\/p>\n<p>As a Times of Israel reporter, I\u2019m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit\u2019s. But my colleagues and I can&#8217;t do this alone. If you value work like this, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Stav Levaton, military reporter<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/crm.timesofisrael.com\/sign-up?utm_source=article&amp;utm_medium=module&amp;utm_campaign=resilience&amp;utm_term=stav&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_medium=article_end&amp;utm_content=BDFCFF\" class=\"crm-post-module__btn crm-post-module__btn-desktop\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tYes, I&#8217;ll join\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/crm.timesofisrael.com\/sign-up?utm_source=article&amp;utm_medium=module&amp;utm_campaign=resilience&amp;utm_term=stav&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_medium=article_end&amp;utm_content=BDFCFF\" class=\"crm-post-module__btn crm-post-module__btn-mobile\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tYes, I&#8217;ll join\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<a class=\"crm_under_btn_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/crm.timesofisrael.com\/sign-in?RedirectTo=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.timesofisrael.com%2Fidf-says-it-killed-hamas-terrorist-who-abducted-tank-officer-daniel-perez-held-hostages%2F\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tYou&#8217;re a dedicated reader\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"200\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/334x334-200x200.png\" class=\"attachment-square size-square wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"crm-article-popup__counter-wrap\" style=\"display:none\">&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWe\u2019re really pleased that you\u2019ve read  X Times of Israel articles in the past month.&#13;\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why we started the Times of Israel &#8211; to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.<\/p>\n<p>So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven\u2019t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.<\/p>\n<p>For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you, <br \/>David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/crm.timesofisrael.com\/sign-up?utm_campaign=dedicated&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_medium=article_end_counter&amp;utm_content=1964F6\" class=\"crm-post-module__btn crm-post-module__btn-desktop\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tJoin Our Community\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/crm.timesofisrael.com\/sign-up?utm_campaign=dedicated&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_medium=article_end_counter&amp;utm_content=1964F6\" class=\"crm-post-module__btn crm-post-module__btn-mobile\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tJoin Our Community\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<a class=\"crm_under_btn_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/crm.timesofisrael.com\/sign-in?RedirectTo=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.timesofisrael.com%2Fidf-says-it-killed-hamas-terrorist-who-abducted-tank-officer-daniel-perez-held-hostages%2F\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet announced Friday that a Hamas terrorist who abducted IDF officer Cpt.&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":524079,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[191279,69,1514,42,191024,2723,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-524078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-2023-2025-israel-hamas-war","tag-gaza-strip","tag-hamas-hostages","tag-headlines","tag-idf-israel-defense-forces","tag-israel-katz","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=524078"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524078\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/524079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=524078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=524078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=524078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}