Overview

• Muhammad Nasr Ali Quneita served in Hamas’s Al-Furqan Battalions’ military intelligence and participated in the October 7, 2023 assault on southern Israel.
• He abducted British-Israeli Emily Damari from Kfar Aza kibbutz and held her captive in Gaza for 471 days before her release in a January 2025 ceasefire exchange.
• During captivity Damari endured severe mistreatment, including a hand injury that cost her two fingers, chronic deprivation and the need to hide her sexuality.
• The July strike reflects Israel’s ongoing policy of precision counterterrorism operations targeting militants linked to the October 7 massacre.
• Ceasefire talks have stalled and the IDF has sustained broad military operations across Gaza following the killing of Quneita.