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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Wednesday that Musbah Salim Musbah Dayyah, head of the Mujahideen terrorist group in Gaza, was eliminated in a joint operation with the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency). Dayyah was operating in the Nuseirat area before he was struck.
According to the IDF, Dayyah played a key role in organizing terror operations in both Gaza and the West Bank. His group, Kataib al-Mujahideen, was among the organizations that invaded Israel during the October 7 massacre, in which more than 1,200 people were killed and hundreds taken hostage.
The Mujahideen terrorists were also responsible for the abduction and murder of several Israeli hostages. Among them were Shiri Bibas and her two young children, Kfir and Ariel. The group also killed Israeli-American-Canadian couple Judy Weinstein Haggai and Gad Haggai, along with several Thai workers.
Dayyah is the fourth leader of the group to be eliminated in Gaza. In June, the IDF struck Kataib al-Mujahideen’s military wing commander, Mahmoud Muhammad Hamid Kuhail, known as Abu al-Mu’tasim, as well as As’ad Abu Sharaiya, who was serving as head of the organization. Both were killed in airstrikes targeting terrorist infrastructure.
Security officials describe the Mujahideen organization as relatively small but highly lethal. Its compartmentalized structure has allowed it to operate under the radar of Israeli intelligence, making it one of the more difficult terror factions to dismantle.
Despite its size, the group has been directly linked to some of the most brutal acts committed during the October 7 attacks. The group traces its roots back to the Second Intifada in the early 2000s, when senior militants broke away from Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.
Adopting a more radical Salafi ideology, they established Kataib al-Mujahideen. Its first commander, Omar Abu Sharaiya, was eliminated in an IDF targeted killing in 2006. Since then, leadership of the organization has remained largely within the Sharaiya family.
The Bibas family tragedy, in particular, has been a central point of anguish in Israel. The abduction of red-haired toddler Kfir Bibas, his brother Ariel, and their mother Shiri drew international attention. Their deaths, later confirmed by Israeli intelligence, were attributed to the Mujahideen group under Dayyah’s command.
Israeli officials stressed that the elimination of Dayyah sends a strong message to militant organizations in Gaza that those responsible for the October 7 massacre and ongoing hostilities will be pursued relentlessly.
“The Mujahideen organization took a significant part in the October 7 massacre, and we will continue to target every leader involved,” the IDF spokesperson said.
With Dayyah’s elimination, the group faces yet another leadership vacuum. However, Israeli security sources warn that despite these successes, Kataib al-Mujahideen remains a threat, capable of reorganizing and continuing its operations under new leadership.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members