JERUSALEM, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement Friday that it had killed a Hamas commander in the Nuseirat area of the central Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military said the man, identified as Sabahi Sami Mahmoud Shahata, was a platoon commander in Hamas's military wing and was struck on Wednesday.

According to the statement, Sabahi took part in Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel and was involved in holding several Israeli hostages during the conflict.

The military claimed that in November 2023, as part of a hostage release agreement, Sabahi took part in the handover "ceremony" and the transfer of the released hostages to the Red Cross. It also said that he had recently attempted to advance attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians, and was struck to remove the threat.

The IDF said measures were taken ahead of the strike to minimize the risk to civilians, including the use of precision-guided munitions and aerial surveillance.