The Israeli military on Friday said its forces had eliminated Muhammad Abd al-Aziz Abu Zubaida, described as the most senior ISIS commander in Gaza.
In a statement issued on its official X formerly Twitter platform, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) identified Abu Zubaida as the Head of the Palestine District of ISIS, responsible for shaping policy, coordinating operations across Gaza, the West Bank, and the Sinai Peninsula, as well as managing the flow of funds and weapons into Gaza.
“ELIMINATED Muhammad Abd al-Aziz Abu Zubaida, Head of the Palestine District of the ISIS terrorist organization, in the Bureij area,” the IDF announced.
The development comes just days after the killing of Mahmoud al-Aswad, head of Hamas’ General Security Apparatus for West Gaza, whom Israel also described as a key figure in Hamas’ intelligence network.
The IDF added that its troops are continuing ground operations on the outskirts of Gaza City and in Khan Yunis, striking both above-ground and underground infrastructure used by Hamas and allied groups.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian toll of the conflict continues to rise.
Earlier this week, at least 20 people, including five journalists, were killed when Israeli airstrikes hit al-Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza.
Among the dead were Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri, AP freelancer Mariam Abu Dagga, Al Jazeera journalist Mohammed Salam, and NBC contributor Moaz Abu Taha.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said the war has been especially devastating for media workers, with 192 Palestinian journalists killed since October 7, 2023 a figure that surpasses the total number of journalists killed worldwide in the past three years combined