The IDF has confirmed that it killed Izz al-Din Bik, commander of Hamas’s Northern Gaza Brigade, in an overnight air strike on Tuesday.
Bik had held the position since the elimination of his predecessor, Ahmed Ghandour, and previously served as the brigade’s military intelligence chief, according to a joint statement.
The statement said Bik was responsible for managing the brigade’s operatives and directing attacks against Israeli troops and civilians. He had also worked to rebuild the brigade’s military capabilities, which had suffered severe damage during the war.
“The terrorist posed an immediate threat to IDF troops and Israeli civilians and was eliminated in a precise aerial strike,” the statement said.
It added: “Prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance.”
The statement said Israeli security forces remained deployed in the area in accordance with the agreement and would “continue to operate to remove any immediate threat”.
Defence Minister Israel Katz described the killing as part of a campaign against Hamas leaders.
“These actions are aimed at crippling Hamas's ability to carry out terrorist plots against our forces, dismantling its capabilities on the path to disarming it, and holding accountable anyone responsible for the acts of murder and atrocities committed on the holiday of Simchat Torah three years ago against Israeli women and children simply for being Jewish,” he said.
Katz warned that Hamas leaders outside Gaza were also targets, saying: “Hamas leaders abroad are also in our sights – none of these despicable murderers, who played a central role in the October 7 massacre, must be allowed to die peacefully in their beds.”
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