PIJ Financier Killed in Airstrike in Northern Gaza as Wanted Terror Suspects Arrested in West Bank

Latest Developments

Terror Financier Killed: The IDF announced on July 18 that it had eliminated Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) financier Raed Khaled Hasan Ghabayin in an airstrike in northern Gaza earlier in the week. Ghabayin worked to transfer PIJ funds “aimed at advancing and executing terrorist attacks” in the West Bank, the IDF and the Shin Bet stated, adding that the money was “used, among other things, to arm terrorists and advance terror attacks in Judea and Samaria against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers.” Ghabayin was imprisoned in Israel from 2006 to 2015 due to his involvement in terrorist activities and was among several money changers targeted in a 2023 Israeli intelligence operation to thwart terror financing from abroad.
Attacks on IDF Troops Foiled: The IDF has continued to foil terror plots in the West Bank, arresting three terrorists in Qalqilya on July 17 who were planning an attack on IDF troops. Five other wanted suspects were arrested in Hebron, where Israeli troops also confiscated hundreds of thousands of shekels and weapons intended to be used for terrorism. In total, 70 wanted suspects were arrested in the West Bank over the past week, and dozens of weapons, along with “large sums” of terror funds, were confiscated.
Hunt for October 7 Terrorists: Israel also announced the killing of several terrorists who infiltrated Israel to commit atrocities on October 7, 2023, including the commander of Hamas’s Daraj Tuffah Battalion, Muhammad Uthayn. The previous day, the IDF announced that it had eliminated three others who took part in the October 7 attacks, including Iyad Nasr, Deputy Commander of Hamas’s Jabaliya Battalion; Hasan Mahmoud Muhammad Mar’i, commander of the Central Jabaliya Company; and Muhammad Zaki Shamadeh Hamad, deputy commander of the Beit Hanoun Battalion.

FDD Expert Response

“The elimination of Ghabayin is part of a broader Israeli strategy to damage the financial infrastructure established by terrorist groups that fuel terrorism in the West Bank. While targeting weapons stockpiles, tunnels, and command centers is necessary, neutralizing the networks and individuals who fund and facilitate terrorism is a critical priority in undermining the entire system.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“Terror finance has played a key role in advancing the threats of Hamas and PIJ. Ghabayin was a key figure in PIJ, and his elimination is yet another step on the long road to cutting off terror funds that fuel attacks against Israel. His elimination is part of Israel’s effort to prevent PIJ from rebuilding its funding networks, which enable it to acquire weapons and carry out terrorist activities in the West Bank and Gaza.” — Seth J. Frantzman, Adjunct Fellow