A Palestinian terrorist who boasted about killing 10 Israelis during the October 7 massacre was killed in an Israeli airstrike, Gaza officials reported Saturday. According to the reports Mahmoud Afana was killed Thursday in Deir al-Balah.
The chilling conversation in which Afana repeatedly bragged about the murders was made public two and a half weeks after the massacre during a United Nations Security Council session. Then-foreign minister Eli Cohen released a recording of a call Afana made to his parents, in which he described the killings in gruesome detail.
Attached is the recording of the conversation between the terrorist and his family from the phone of one of the murdered
(IDF)
“I’m speaking to you from a Jewish woman’s phone, I killed her and her husband. With my own hands I killed 10,” Afana told his father in the recording. Investigators later confirmed that the phone Afana used belonged to one of the victims, which was recovered in the Gaza border area. On the phone, authorities found the full recording of the call between Afana and his family while he was inside Gaza.
Afana told his father he was speaking from Kibbutz Mefalsim. “Open my WhatsApp now and see all the dead. See how many I killed with my own hands. Your son killed Jews,” he said. His father replied: “May God protect you.”
He continued, speaking directly to his father: “Father, 10 with my own hands. I’m inside Mefalsim, I killed 10. Their blood is on my hands. Put Mother on.” His mother responded: “Oh my son, may God keep you safe.” Afana pressed on: “By God, 10 with my own hands. I felt them with my own hands.” His mother answered: “May God bring you back in peace.” Afana added: “Father, check WhatsApp, I want to make you a live broadcast from inside Mefalsim.”
During the call, his mother encouraged him: “I wish I were with you.” Afana replied: “Mother, your son is a hero.” At that point, his brother joined the conversation and asked: “Did you kill 10?” Afana confirmed: “Yes, I killed 10, by God.” When his brother asked if he was in Zikim, Afana clarified: “I’m in Mefalsim, not Zikim. I was the first to enter, with God’s help. Hold your head high, Father.”
His brother urged him to return to Gaza, but Afana dismissed the idea. “Return? There is no return. It’s either death or victory. How can I return? Open WhatsApp and see how many I killed, how I killed them with my own hands.”
The call, released by the Israeli foreign ministry, has drawn international attention for the extreme nature of the terrorist’s boasting and the details of the attack on civilians. Israeli authorities have said Afana played a central role in the October 7 attacks and had targeted multiple families in the border communities.
Israeli officials confirmed the airstrike that killed Afana was part of ongoing operations targeting Hamas members responsible for planning and executing attacks against Israeli civilians.