An Israeli airstrike killed Hamas terrorist Aziz Salha, who took part in the brutal October 2000 lynching of two Israeli soldiers in Ramallah, Israel Defense Forces confirmed.

The IDF eliminated Salha in a strike on Central Gaza’s Deir Al-Balah early Thursday.

In 2000, Salha took part in the brutal lynching of two Israeli reservists—Sergeant First Class Yosef Avrahami and Corporal Vadim Norzhich—who had taken a wrong turn and ended up in the Palestinian Authority-controlled city of Ramallah in the West Bank. Salha was photographed with blood on his hands smiling and waving from a window after a Palestinian mob beat and stabbed the two Israeli soldiers to death.

Israel arrested Salha in 2001 and sentenced him to life in prison. Salha was released and deported to Gaza in October 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange with Hamas. The exchange freed over 1,000 Palestinians in return for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been held captive in Gaza for five years.

After his release, Salha continued to be involved in various terrorist activities for Hamas, the IDF said Thursday.