Gaza City (HRNW)- Izz al-Din al-Bik, identified as the commander of Hamas’s Northern Gaza Brigade, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on an apartment in Gaza City, according to Palestinian media and Israeli officials. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the strike targeted al-Bik.
Palestinian reports said the strike hit an apartment in the al-Nasr neighborhood in western Gaza City early Tuesday. The attack also wounded several other people, according to reports from the area.
Al-Bik had previously been identified as a senior commander within Hamas’s Qassam Brigades in northern Gaza. Earlier reporting said he assumed command of the Northern Brigade after the death of Ahmed al-Ghandour in November 2023.
Israeli officials accused al-Bik of involvement in planning attacks against Israeli forces and recruiting fighters. Netanyahu and Katz said Israel would continue targeting Hamas commanders and operatives. These are Israeli government allegations and have not been independently established.
Hamas had not immediately issued an official statement confirming his death in the initial reports, while Palestinian media identified him as the commander of Hamas’s Northern Gaza Brigade.
The reported killing comes amid continued Israeli military operations in Gaza despite the ceasefire that began nearly a year ago. The Associated Press reported that more than 1,400 Palestinians had been killed since the ceasefire, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The latest strike represents another reported loss among Hamas’s senior field commanders and adds to continuing tensions over the implementation and durability of the Gaza ceasefire.
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