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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet announced on Sunday the elimination of Hassan Mahmoud Hassan Hussein, the terrorist responsible for abducting Eliya Cohen during the Re’im attack on October 7.
Cohen had been taken from a bomb shelter on Highway 232 alongside other civilians during the attack. The shelter, later dubbed the “death bunker,” saw 16 people killed, four abducted, and seven rescued by Israeli forces.
Cohen and his fiancée, Ziv Abud, herself a survivor of the Nova music festival massacre, expressed relief and joy over the news in a video released Sunday.
“Wow, I think I’m the happiest person in the world right now,” said Abud. “Whoever kidnapped Eliya, who pulled him out from among all the bodies and loaded him into a pickup truck like a sack of potatoes, the IDF took him down.”
Abud then turned to Cohen, asking, “What do you have to say about that?” Eliya responded with gratitude, saying, “First of all, thank God, thank you, Father.”
He added a chilling allusion to remaining captors, stating, “Now the next in line are the triangle, the circle, and the square,” referring to code names used by hostages to identify their captors.
Earlier, Cohen shared his story with Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon at a community leaders’ event, where he also sang a song of praise for the elimination of his captor.
The IDF and Shin Bet confirmed that Hussein was the commander of Nukbha in the Al-Bureij Battalion of Hamas’ Central Camps Brigade. He had orchestrated the attack on the Re’im shelter along with Muhammad Abu Atiwi.
Abu Atiwi, who participated in the shelter attack alongside Hussein, had already been eliminated in October 2024, leaving Hussein as the last responsible operative behind the abduction of Cohen.
The Re’im shelter attack remains one of the deadliest assaults in recent Israeli history, with the “death bunker” symbolizing the terror civilians faced during the onslaught.
Cohen’s abduction and eventual rescue highlighted the ongoing risks of hostage-taking during cross-border conflicts and underscored Israel’s continued efforts to track and neutralize responsible Hamas operatives.
The operation also serves as a reaffirmation of Israel’s commitment to bringing closure and justice to victims and their families affected by Hamas attacks in recent years.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members