The Israeli military on Friday confirmed it had killed Muhammad Abd al-Aziz Abu Zubaida, identified as the highest-ranking Islamic State (ISIS) operative in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement released on its official X account, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) described Abu Zubaida as “the Head of the Palestine District of ISIS,” noting that he was eliminated during an operation in the Bureij refugee camp area.
According to the IDF, Abu Zubaida played a central role in shaping ISIS activity in Gaza, Judea and Samaria, and the Sinai Peninsula.
He was said to have overseen the transfer of weapons and funding into Gaza, while also directing terrorist operations and strategy across the region.
The development follows Wednesday’s announcement of the killing of Mahmoud al-Aswad, the head of Hamas’ General Security Apparatus for West Gaza.
The IDF had described al-Aswad as a key intelligence figure for Hamas, whose death dealt another blow to the group’s leadership structure.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces said they continue to push into Gaza City and Khan Yunis, targeting what they described as “terrorist infrastructure” both above and below ground.
The latest escalation comes amid rising international concern over civilian casualties.
Earlier this week, DAILY POST reported an Israeli airstrike on al-Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza reportedly killed at least 20 people, including five journalists.
Among the journalists confirmed dead were Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri, Associated Press contributor Mariam Abu Dagga, Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Salam, and Moaz Abu Taha, who worked with NBC. A Reuters photographer, Hatem Khaled, was critically injured.
Video aired by al-Ghad TV captured the moment civil defense workers and fellow journalists tried to recover al-Masri’s body. Seconds later, they too were hit by fire, raising their arms in a desperate bid for protection.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says the death toll among Palestinian media workers has reached staggering levels, with at least 192 journalists killed since the war began on October 7, 2023, more than the global total for the previous three years combined.
Israel says it has eliminated top ISIS commander in Gaza
