Israeli strike kills senior Hamas commander in northern Gaza, officials say
An Israeli air strike killed Izz al-Din Al-Beik, whom Israel identified as the head of Hamas’s armed wing in northern Gaza, according to Israeli officials and Hamas. The strike was followed by further deaths in Gaza, while disputes continued over ceasefire violations, disarmament and Israeli withdrawal.
An Israeli air strike killed Izz al-Din Al-Beik, identified by Israel as the head of Hamas’s armed wing in northern Gaza, officials on both sides said on Tuesday. Hamas confirmed his death and described him as a leader of the October 7, 2023 attack. Israel’s government said Al-Beik had been involved in planning attacks and recruiting.
Medics said the strike hit a building in Gaza City’s Nasr neighbourhood around dawn. Health officials reported that a second person later died from wounds sustained in the attack. A separate Israeli strike near a medical clinic in Jabalia refugee camp killed one person later on Tuesday, doctors said.
The Israeli military said it had targeted a militant in the area, bringing the day’s reported death toll to at least three. Israel says Hamas has been rearming and launching attacks in violation of an October ceasefire. The Israeli military said it had killed at least 20 Hamas figures during the month, including people it identified as senior commanders, participants in the October 7 attacks or individuals involved in holding Israeli hostages.
Hamas has denied attempting to carry out attacks or rebuild its arsenal. The group has accused Israel of undermining the Gaza peace deal. In central Gaza, Palestinians in Nuseirat refugee camp buried the remains of 41 people killed by Israeli fire nearly three years ago.
The bodies had recently been recovered from ruins. Palestinian authorities estimate that more than 8,000 bodies remain buried in wreckage. The United States-brokered ceasefire calls for the eventual reconstruction of Gaza, but negotiators have made little progress on Hamas disarmament and an Israeli troop withdrawal.
Israeli air strikes have continued. Gaza health officials say at least 1,400 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire, while Israel says four soldiers have died. Palestinian authorities put the overall death toll from Israel’s assault, launched after the Hamas-led October 2023 attack, at more than 73,000.
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