Israel claims senior Islamic Jihad commander killed in Gaza airstrike

By Ikram Kouachi

The Israeli army on Friday claimed killing a senior commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group in a joint operation with the Shin Bet security agency in Gaza.

According to a statement by army spokesman, Avichay Adraee, the target of the June 7 strike was Fadl Abu al-Ata, described as a commander in the Shejaiya area of eastern Gaza City.

The army also claimed to have killed Hamad Kamel Abdulaziz Iyad, who was said to be the chief explosives engineer of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Turkmen Battalion.

Palestinian groups have yet to confirm the Israeli claims, which could not be verified immediately.

Israel has killed nearly 57,800 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, and reduced the enclave to a rubble.