In brief
On Friday, the Israeli Defense Forces released a statement that an airstrike on the Nuseirat area in the central Gaza Strip killed Ihab Jamil Abu Taqiya and Ibrahim Gihad Muhammad Abu Oshaiba, both senior Hamas military commanders. The IDF said the men had supported attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians and had violated a ceasefire that began in October 2025, even as Israeli strikes continued after a U.S.-backed peace plan stalled. The report underscores the ongoing tensions amid stalled disarmament and withdrawal talks.
JERUSALEM—The Israeli Defense Forces said on Friday that an airstrike on the Nuseirat area in the central Gaza Strip earlier the week killed two high‑ranking Hamas commanders, Ihab Jamil Abu Taqiya and Ibrahim Gihad Muhammad Abu Oshaiba.
Abu Taqiya, identified as a squad commander in Hamas’ military wing, had reportedly been involved in holding Israeli hostages in the early days of the war, the IDF statement added. Abu Oshaiba, a platoon commander, was also confirmed dead in the strike, according to the same source.
In its release, the IDF said both men had advanced attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians during the conflict and had worked to restore Hamas’ operational capabilities, describing their actions as a systematic violation of the ceasefire that began in October 2025.
Authorities also said measures were taken to mitigate harm to civilians before the strike, a detail the IDF highlighted as part of its operational procedures.
The October 2025 ceasefire was brokered through U.S. mediation and halted the Israeli large‑scale offensive, though the IDF noted that it had continued to strike targets in Gaza. The U.S.-backed Gaza peace plan envisions further Israeli withdrawals and the disarmament of Hamas, but implementation has stalled.
Despite the pause in major offensives, Israeli strikes have continued in support of the ceasefire, a practice that the U.S. and Palestinian authorities have criticized as undermining the peace process.
The killing of Abu Taqiya and Abu Oshaiba, announced by the IDF, is seen as a continuing escalation, underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire and the ongoing challenges to meaningful negotiations in Gaza.