The Israeli Defense Forces said on Friday that an airstrike on the Nuseirat area, in central Gaza, killed two Hamas commanders, according to a report by Xinhua. The commanders identified were Ihab Jamil Abu Taqiya, a squad commander in Hamas’ military wing, and Ibrahim Gihad Muhammad Abu Oshaiba, a platoon commander, both of whom were described by Israeli officials as having participated in the imprisonment of Israeli hostages at the outbreak of the war.
Israeli officials claimed that both men had recently been “involved in advancing attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians and operating to restore the capabilities of Hamas,” and that they had violated a U.S.-brokered cease‑fire that began in October 2025. The statement added that the point of the strike was to “mitigate harm to civilians” by taking measures before targeting the commanders.
The cease‑fire had halted Israel’s large‑scale offensive, yet Israeli strikes continued. The U.S. back‑ed peace plan calls for further Israeli withdrawals and the disarmament of Hamas, though implementation has stalled.
