The Nukhba forces (Hebrew: נוח'בה, romanized: Nukhba, Arabic: نخبة, lit. 'elite'), Nukhba Force[1] or just (Al-)Nukhba are a special forces unit of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.[2] The word "Nukhba" is used by Israelis (in Hebrew and English) to refer to Hamas militants.[3] In 2024 the usage of the word in Israel roughly corresponds to "Hamas militant" or "Hamas commando".[4][3]
On October 7, Hamas forces invaded Israel.[9][10] On October 12, 2023, the Jerusalem Post reported that Shin Bet had set up a new unit called Nili – an abbreviation of the Hebrew phrase Netzach Yisrael Lo Yeshaker (transl. The Eternity of Israel Will Not Lie) – tasked with hunting down Nukhba members.[11] They reported, "This force was specifically set up to target members of a special commando unit within Hamas's military wing called Nukhba ("elite")".[11]
In October 2023, an IDF spokesman said that the Israeli air force have been specifically targeting Nukhba members: "We plan to get every one of those people.”[12]
According to Israel's security serviceShin Bet, captured Nukhba members were ordered to kill everyone they saw and carry out atrocities against civilians including women and children.[17] If they brought hostages back to Gaza they would be richly rewarded.[17]
According to footage the Israeli security services released of interrogation of purportedly captured Nukhba members, Hamas has been using medical facilities in the Gaza Strip, especially the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, to shield themselves from Israeli strikes and that the underground levels of the hospital are utilized for hiding resources like weapons and ammunition. Hamas denied these claims.[18]
Israeli officials have said that Palestinian prisoners of war who were tortured and sexually assaulted were members of the Nukhba and that this justified abuse against them.[3] For example, Knesset member (KM) Hanoch Milwidsky, from the Likud party, said: "If he is a Nukhba, everything is legitimate to do! Everything!" When responding to a question from Arab Israeli KM Ahmad Tibi's criticism. of the treatment of Palestinian prisoners by Israeli soldiers.[19][3] Knesset member Simcha Rothman also commented on the Nukhba, "we see over and over again an enormous disconnect between the justice and enforcement agencies, who persecute reservists, heroic fighters, who left everything behind in order to protect us from the Nukhba terrorists, for whom 'animals' is a compliment".[4]
^ abcdSimon Speakman Cordall (August 9, 2024). "'Everything is legitimate': Israeli leaders defend soldiers accused of rape". Al Jazeera. Retrieved September 17, 2024. Hanoch Milwidsky, a member of Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu's ruling Likud party, responded: "If he is a Nukhba [Hamas militant], everything is legitimate to do! Everything!" …
^ ab"Ministers, MKs criticize arrests of soldiers suspected of terrorist prisoner abuse". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. July 29, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024. MK Simcha Rothman also halted his committee mid-session. Rothman said that "we see over and over again an enormous disconnect between the justice and enforcement agencies, who persecute reservists, heroic fighters, who left everything behind in order to protect us from the Nukhba terrorists, for whom 'animals' is a compliment."
^ abBohbot, Amir (October 22, 2023). "New Israeli unit has one goal: Kill all terrorists involved in massacre". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved October 23, 2023. "This force was specifically set up to target members of a special commando unit within Hamas's military wing called Nukhba ("elite") who infiltrated Israel, executed mass killings in various villages and IDF outposts, and then returned to the Gaza Strip."
^ ab"Israel accused of using AI to choose Gaza targets (transcript of interview)". CBC (Canada). April 8, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024. Ayman Nofal. He was the commander of Gaza's central brigade. And the source claimed that the military knowingly authorized to kill 300 Palestinian civilians alongside this target. 300 people. …four multi-story buildings filled with apartments were bombed on the families that were inside. … they found 70 people dead in the first day, and for five days continuously, they took people out of the rubble.
^Iraqi, Amjad (April 3, 2024). "'Lavender': The AI machine directing Israel's bombing spree in Gaza". +972 Magazine. Retrieved September 17, 2024. In order to assassinate Ayman Nofal, the commander of Hamas' Central Gaza Brigade, a source said the army authorized the killing of approximately 300 civilians, destroying several buildings in airstrikes on Al-Bureij refugee camp on Oct. 17, based on an imprecise pinpointing of Nofal.