Hamas Terrorist Who Forced Former Israeli Hostage to Kiss Him Was Killed as IDF Launches Gaza City Offensive

By: Fern Sidman

A Hamas operative notorious for humiliating an Israeli hostage during a February release ceremony was killed this week, as Israel intensified its offensive against the terrorist organization in Gaza. According to Hamas-linked sources, Ghassan Salot, the sadistic terrorist who forced freed hostage Omer Shem Tov to kiss his forehead in front of television cameras, was eliminated in Dir al-Balah on Tuesday.

The development coincided with the Israel Defense Forces’ announcement that it has entered the first stage of its long-awaited Gaza City operation, signaling a pivotal escalation in Israel’s war to dismantle Hamas. As World Israel News (WIN) reported on Wednesday, the convergence of these events illustrates both the military and symbolic dimensions of the campaign, with the IDF systematically removing Hamas operatives while simultaneously advancing toward the group’s last urban bastions.

Salot’s role in the February release was widely publicized, sparking outrage in Israel and abroad. Shem Tov, freed after months in captivity, later recounted the psychological abuse and coercion he endured. The forehead-kissing incident became emblematic of the humiliation Israeli hostages faced at the hands of their captors.

In interviews covered by World Israel News, Shem Tov detailed the constant threats to his life. Hamas fighters ordered him to participate in attacks on Israeli soldiers, demanding that he detonate explosives when troops entered a building. “They told me: ‘When the soldiers enter the house, you detonate.’ I told them no. They threatened to shoot me in the head—I said, ‘So shoot,’” he recalled.

The defiance shed light on the harrowing resilience of hostages forced into impossible situations. Salot’s death in Dir al-Balah now closes the chapter on one of the most visible perpetrators of hostage abuse during the war, a fact Israeli officials view as both justice served and a message to Hamas operatives still hiding in Gaza’s cities and tunnels.

On Wednesday, Brigadier-General Effie Defrin, the IDF’s chief spokesman, confirmed that Israeli forces have seized control of the outskirts of Gaza City. As reported by World Israel News, Defrin characterized this as the “first stage” of a broader campaign to capture the city, considered Hamas’ last major stronghold.

Defrin also revealed that the army is mobilizing on a scale not seen in months, with 60,000 conscription notices issued this week and another 20,000 to follow later in the month. The mass mobilization reflects the IDF’s preparation for what is expected to be some of the most challenging urban warfare of the conflict.

At the same time, Defrin emphasized that the military was preparing humanitarian measures, including evacuation routes and designated safe zones, so that civilians could access aid and medical care. The World Israel News report noted that the IDF has made repeated efforts to balance its combat objectives with measures to protect noncombatants, despite Hamas’ documented practice of embedding its fighters within civilian populations.

The military escalation comes amid direct instructions from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to expedite the campaign. In remarks reported by World Israel News, Netanyahu stated that he has directed the IDF to “shorten the timeline for taking control of the last terrorist strongholds and defeating Hamas.”

The Prime Minister is expected to convene with Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday to formally approve the operational plans for the conquest of Gaza City. Military analysts cited by WIN noted that such political guidance reflects Israel’s urgency to deliver decisive results and prevent Hamas from reconstituting its leadership in Gaza’s dense urban landscape.

Meanwhile, the diplomatic track remains fraught. Egypt and Qatar are currently promoting a Hamas-backed proposal that would see 10 living Israeli hostages released in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire. Mediating officials told The Jerusalem Post that the framework resembles one Israel had already accepted weeks ago. “Yes, there are gaps, but they can be bridged within days,” one mediator insisted.

Yet, as the World Israel News report has pointed out, Israel’s leadership remains cautious. While the humanitarian urgency of securing hostages is acute, Jerusalem insists that Hamas cannot be permitted to leverage negotiations into long-term concessions that would undermine Israel’s battlefield achievements. The gap between Hamas’ demands and Israel’s conditions continues to delay progress, even as the IDF tightens its grip on the battlefield.

Even as preparations accelerate in Gaza City, IDF units remain active in Khan Yunis, a city that has already been the site of intense fighting. Defrin reported that IDF troops recently foiled an attempt by more than 15 Hamas terrorists to storm an Israeli military post. The assault was repelled, but the incident is under investigation.

As World Israel News reported, the thwarted attack demonstrates that while Hamas’ command infrastructure has been severely weakened, its remaining fighters remain capable of launching coordinated, high-risk operations. The IDF has vowed to continue pursuing Hamas cells across the Strip, particularly those responsible for cross-border attacks on October 7.

Taken together, the elimination of Ghassan Salot, the launch of the Gaza City offensive, and the high-level political directives from Netanyahu reflect the convergence of military, political, and symbolic dimensions in Israel’s war effort.

Salot’s death resonates beyond the battlefield. It serves as a symbolic reckoning for the degradation and humiliation imposed upon Israeli hostages, offering a measure of closure for victims and their families. Simultaneously, the IDF’s advance into Gaza City places an emphasis on the determination to uproot Hamas entirely, even as delicate negotiations over hostages continue to unfold in parallel.

Israel now stands at a pivotal juncture in its campaign against Hamas. The IDF has begun the arduous task of seizing Gaza City, bolstered by mass mobilization and guided by Netanyahu’s insistence on shortened timelines. At the same time, symbolic milestones such as the elimination of Salot remind Israelis of the human cost of Hamas’ brutality and the need for both justice and deterrence.

As World Israel News has reported, the campaign is defined not only by military objectives but also by the pursuit of justice for hostages, the safeguarding of civilians, and the broader strategic imperative to ensure that Hamas can never again threaten the people of Israel.