Wassim Abu Sha'aban, killed alongside Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh on Tuesday, was a commander in the terrorist group's elite Nukhbah force known for orchestrating one of the deadliest attacks during 2014's Operation Protective Edge. He was involved in the infiltration of Kibbutz Nahal Oz, where terrorists used a tunnel to kill five Israeli soldiers.
Abu Sha'aban led an assault on a military outpost near the kibbutz, aiming to abduct an Israeli soldier but was thwarted in a gunfight.
As a commander in the elite Nukhbah unit, he later transitioned to become a bodyguard for senior Hamas leaders, eventually serving as a personal guard for Haniyeh during his international travels.
Saleh al Arouri, Ismail Haniyeh, Wassim Abu Sha'aban
Despite his Nukhbah affiliation, Abu Sha'aban left the Gaza Strip in 2019. Social media posts captured his travels with Haniyeh, including a photo with the slain leader and another senior Hamas figure, Saleh Al-Aruri, who died in an explosion at Hamas offices in Beirut earlier this year.