Israeli Strike Kills Hamas Commander in Gaza City, Mourners Gather
An Israeli strike on an apartment west of Gaza City killed Hamas commander Izz al-Din Bik and his bodyguard, prompting mourning at a hospital and a funeral march.
An overnight Israeli strike on an apartment west of Gaza City killed two people, including a Hamas commander, according to Israeli officials and hospital authorities.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz identified the commander as Izz al-Din Bik, who led a unit within Hamas' northern Gaza brigade. The Israeli military said Bik had been involved in planning attacks and in recruiting new members for the group.
At Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, mourners gathered around the bodies of Bik and his bodyguard. Bik's remains were wrapped in a Hamas flag, while his bodyguard was shrouded in both Palestinian and Hamas flags. Relatives and supporters wept inside the morgue before Bik's body was carried through the streets of Gaza City, with mourners holding Hamas flags during the procession.
The deaths are the latest since a ceasefire took effect nearly a year ago. More than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed in that period, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which keeps detailed records generally regarded as reliable. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but says women and children account for roughly half of the fatalities.