IDF kills commander of Hamas’s North Gaza Brigade in Gaza City airstrike

The commander of Hamas’s Northern Gaza Brigade was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City early Tuesday, marking the third top commander in the terror group to be killed in recent weeks. The overnight strike in Gaza City’s al-Nasr neighborhood killed Izz al-Din al-Bik, who headed the Northern Gaza Brigade, one of Hamas’s five regional brigades in its military wing, according to the Israeli military and the terror group. The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security agency said al-Bik had been in the role since the previous Northern Gaza Brigade commander, Ahmed Ghandour , was killed by Israel on November 10, 2023. Hamas, in a statement, said al-Bik was previously chief of intelligence in the brigade, making him “one of the commanders” of the terror group’s October 7, 2023, onslaught. When Ghandour was killed, al-Bik assumed command of the unit, leading the fighting against Israeli troops in northern Gaza throughout the war, Hamas said. Footage published by the IDF showed several missiles hitting an apartment building in the strike after midnight. Palestinian medics said that a woman was killed and her husband and others were wounded in the strike. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms The IDF and Shin Bet said that al-Bik was responsible for managing the activities of the brigade’s operatives, including directing them to carry out attacks on Israeli troops and civilians. The commander was also involved in restoring the brigade’s capabilities, “which suffered a fatal blow throughout the war,” the joint statement read. Al-Bik was killed “in a precise aerial strike” in Gaza City overnight, because he “posed an immediate threat to IDF troops and Israeli civilians,” the military and Shin Bet added. A strike in Gaza City on September 29, 2026, targets the commander of Hamas’s Northern Gaza Brigade. (Israel Defense Forces) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz accused the Northern Gaza Brigade commander of being involved in advancing attacks against Israeli forces and recruiting new terrorists. Advertisement “We will continue to hunt down and pursue all of the organization’s terrorists, from its commanders to its last operative, wherever they hide, until there is no Hamas in Gaza,” their separate statement read. Al-Bik is the third Hamas brigade commander killed by Israel in recent weeks, after the commander of the Rafah Brigade was killed on September 15 and the commander of the Khan Younis Brigade was killed on September 11. The IDF in recent months has ramped up strikes on terror operatives in Gaza, including numerous October 7 terrorists, saying they posed a threat to Israeli forces. Palestinians walk amid war-damaged buildings in Gaza City, in the Strip’s north, on September 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) A strike in Gaza City on Sunday killed a Hamas operative who the military said was involved in smuggling millions of shekels to the terror group’s military wing. The IDF identified the target, Shadi Abu Hasira, as a “key money exchanger” in Hamas, who headed the “Geneva” money exchange network, which “transferred tens of millions of Israeli shekels in foreign currency to Hamas’s military wing.” “These funds were used to finance terrorists, restore military infrastructure, and advance attacks against IDF troops,” the army said. Advertisement The military said Abu Hasira was also involved in commercial activities in Gaza, managing a company named “Gardena Professional” that facilitated his money-transfer activities. Recently, the IDF said, the moneyman had been involved in advancing attacks and restoring Hamas capabilities, “in systematic violation of the ceasefire,” and was killed to “remove the threat he posed.” On Friday, the IDF had warned that it would continue to target Hamas members involved in financing the terror group’s military wing, after killing 16 “key” Hamas financial officers during the war so far. A separate strike on Sunday in southern Gaza killed Adi Adil Abd al-Aaser, identified by the IDF as a Hamas sniper operative who had been advancing attacks and attempting to restore the terror group’s capabilities, “in systematic violation of the ceasefire.” He was killed to “remove a threat,” the IDF added. Palestinians mourn during the funeral of Hamas commander Muhammad Yazouri, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike the previous night, with a rifle laid on top, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, September 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) The Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. The ensuing war between Israel and Hamas has killed over 73,400 people in Gaza, including more than 1,330 since the October 2025 ceasefire, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the enclave, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians. The Israeli military says it has killed over 24,000 combatants in Gaza and another 1,200 terrorists inside Israel during the October 7 onslaught. It believes that Hamas’s overall toll is largely accurate, with IDF officials estimating that two to three civilians were killed for every dead terror operative. Advertisement While the October 2025 US-backed ceasefire halted major fighting in the shattered territory, it hasn’t ended strikes by the IDF, which the military says are meant to thwart attacks by Gaza terrorists. Gaza remains bisected into Israeli- and Hamas-controlled areas, and talks to bring about Hamas’s disarmament and the territory’s reconstruction have made only limited progress . Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques. Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip stands at 479. The toll includes two police officers and three Defense Ministry civilian contractors. Help us report truthfully on social media As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos. This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. 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