Izz al-Din al-Beik killed in Israeli strike on Gaza City

An Israeli strike on an apartment in a residential building in the El Nasr district, in northwestern Gaza City, killed Izz al-Din al-Beik, commander of the Northern Brigade of the Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, on Tuesday, September 29. The attack came at about 3:30 a.m. local time. Hamas confirmed his death, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the killing publicly.

What happened in the El Nasr district?

According to four sources close to Hamas who spoke to the newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, three missiles, probably fired from warplanes, hit the apartment, and al-Beik died instantly. Israel’s Channel 12 gives a different account: by its reporting, two missiles struck the room where al-Beik was sleeping, and three more followed in case he was in another room. The number of missiles therefore remains attributed to Hamas sources rather than established as fact.

A correspondent for Asharq Al-Awsat said the fire in the apartment burned for more than half an hour until civil defense crews put it out. The body of al-Beik’s personal aide, Mohanad Abu Foul, from the Jabalia refugee camp, was found the same morning. Al-Shifa Hospital said, according to Al Jazeera’s report, that one more person later died of wounds suffered in the attack. None of the sources names that person.

In a joint post on X, Netanyahu and Katz said: “We will continue to hunt down and pursue all of the organization’s terrorists.” The Israeli military then said it had killed al-Beik, accusing him of directing the brigade’s operatives, guiding attacks and planning new ones, as well as rebuilding the brigade’s capabilities after heavy losses in the war.

Who was Izz al-Din al-Beik?

Al-Beik was 48 and came from the Faluja neighborhood of the Jabalia camp, one of Hamas’s main strongholds. According to Asharq Al-Awsat’s sources, he joined the movement in the late 1990s after becoming active in mosques, and entered the Qassam Brigades when the second intifada broke out. He was among the first to use Yassin anti-tank missiles against the large Israeli operation in Jabalia in 2004.

For years he commanded the camp’s western Imad Akel Battalion, then became head of intelligence for the Northern Brigade. He took over command after Ahmed Ghandour was killed in November 2023. The Israeli military accused him of directing the brigade’s operatives, but its statement does not mention any role in the October 7, 2023 attack. Sources close to Hamas describe him as a skilled sniper and a popular figure in the movement.

He also survived an assassination attempt in late May 2026, when an Israeli strike killed Imad Aslim, deputy commander of the Gaza Brigade. According to the same sources, Aslim was due to meet al-Beik and the brigade’s new commander at the time, but neither man arrived before the strike.

Third brigade commander killed in September

This is the third Hamas brigade commander Israel has killed this month. The commander of the Khan Younis Brigade, Mohammed al-Jazouri, died around September 10, and the Israeli military and Shin Bet confirmed his death on September 11. The commander of the Rafah Brigade, Nail Abu Obeid, was killed on September 15. Asharq Al-Awsat reports that both had replaced commanders Israel killed in similar operations.

The Israeli military says it killed at least 20 Hamas members in September, among them several commanders, as well as people it says took part in the October 7 attack or held Israeli hostages. In the newspaper’s assessment, the latest strikes show Israel targeting members of a new military council set up to replace the old leaders. Hamas sources have said before that the movement’s structure is flexible and that killed commanders are quickly replaced.

What is the status of the ceasefire in force since October?

A US-backed ceasefire has been in place since October 2025. According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed since then, and the Israeli military says four of its soldiers have died. Israel claims Hamas is rearming and carrying out attacks, which would violate the agreement. Hamas denies this and accuses Israel of undermining the deal.

Negotiations on the second phase have stalled over two questions: the conditions under which Hamas would lay down its weapons, and the conditions under which Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza. The agreement also provides for rebuilding the territory, but little progress has been made on that.