Report: One of Hamas's remaining senior commanders eliminated

According to reports in Arab media, Azz al-Din al-Bik, commander of Hamas's northern Gaza brigade, was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City. Al-Bik took command after the elimination of Ahmed al-Ghandour in November 2023. Hamas sources attributed to him a key role in planning the October 7 attack and in blocking the IDF maneuver. Alongside him, another senior official, Imad Salim, was targeted. Al-Bik survived four previous assassination attempts.

According to reports in Arab media, Azz al-Din al-Bik, commander of the northern Gaza brigade in Hamas's military wing, was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City. Al-Bik, born in 1981, joined the military wing in 2000 and commanded the brigade's first special unit, headed the "Imad Aql Battalion" in western Jabalia, and served as the brigade's intelligence officer. He took command of the sector after the elimination of Ahmed al-Ghandour in November 2023. Hamas sources attributed to him a key role in planning the October 7, 2023 attack and in managing the fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, calling him the "breaker of the generals' plan" due to his involvement in blocking the IDF maneuver. Alongside him, Imad Salim, another senior command figure, was targeted. Al-Bik survived four previous assassination attempts, the last of which was in May, when Imad Aslim was killed while al-Bik was either wounded or not present. The northern Gaza brigade is considered one of Hamas's largest due to its proximity to the Gaza envelope.