A senior commander in the al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, who was reportedly killed Monday in an Israeli operation in Khan Younis, was tied to the kidnapping of former hostage Arbel Yehoud, Saudi-owned Arabic-language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported.
According to the report, Ahmad Kamel Sarhan played a central role in Yehoud’s abduction from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas-led October 7 attack. The report cites terrorist sources claiming Sarhan was later responsible for guarding and moving Yehoud between hideouts during her captivity.
The paper, quoting unnamed sources within the terrorist group, said Sarhan’s name was not explicitly mentioned in Israeli or Palestinian official statements, but described details that match Yehoud’s case. She was released in January as part of a hostage deal, reportedly following intense Israeli demands that created a diplomatic impasse prior to her release.
It remains unclear whether the objective of the raid was to arrest Sarhan or assassinate him. The Asharq Al-Awsat report speculated the operation may have been part of an intelligence-driven effort, noting that Israel has a history of targeted killings using special forces, particularly when hostages may be nearby.
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Eyewitnesses quoted by Gaza-based Safa News Agency, affiliated with Hamas, described a white bus arriving on Mars Street in the al-Mahatta neighborhood of Khan Younis. The bus reportedly appeared to be transporting displaced women and their belongings. Witnesses said nine individuals dressed as women—some with covered faces, others bare—disembarked and approached Sarhan’s house, which had been previously damaged in an airstrike.
According to the report, gunfire erupted inside the house, followed by the rapid withdrawal of the Israeli unit under heavy aerial support. Palestinian sources claimed Israeli aircraft carried out over 30 airstrikes in a 40-minute window to cover the retreat, with helicopters and tanks providing additional fire. Sarhan’s organization later confirmed his death, describing him as a “special operations officer.”
IDF strikes in Khan Younis, Gaza
Safa quoted residents saying Sarhan was killed in his home and that Israeli forces detained his wife and children, transporting them to an unknown location. A drone strike during the retreat reportedly killed six civilians, including children.
Palestinian sources estimated the entire raid lasted about 20 minutes and claimed to have recovered items such as weapon parts, shell casings, smoke grenades, women's clothing and a disguised container believed to have belonged to displaced individuals.