Izz al-Din al-Bayk, commander of the AlQassam Brigades’ Northern Gaza Brigade, was martyred in an Israeli occupation airstrike on Gaza City on September 29. The strike targeted an apartment in the Al-Nasr neighborhood west of Gaza City at dawn, martyring al-Bayk alongside his associate Muhannad Abu al-Foul, according to Palestinian sources. Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz also confirmed that al-Bayk had been targeted.
The attack set the targeted apartment ablaze for nearly an hour, while Palestinian Civil Defense crews reportedly struggled to extinguish the fire because of damaged and worn-out equipment. The bodies were recovered after the fire was brought under control and transferred to Al-Shifa Hospital. Palestinian sources identified Abu al-Foul as al-Bayk’s personal aide.
Al-Bayk was a senior field commander of the AlQassam Brigades in northern Gaza. According to Al Jazeera’s reporting, he had previously led the First Special Unit of the Northern Brigade, commanded the Martyr Imad Aqel Battalion in western Jabalia for around a decade and later headed the brigade’s military intelligence division. He assumed command of the northern Gaza Brigade following the martyrdom of former commander Ahmed al-Ghandour in November 2023.
Al Jazeera reported, citing sources familiar with al-Bayk’s role, that he participated in preparing tactical military and intelligence plans during the confrontation with the Israeli occupation. The reports also described that Hamas sources attributed to him a role in preparing operational and intelligence plans connected to the October 2023 Al-Aqsa Flood operation.
The Israeli occupation said al-Bayk was involved in directing AlQassam operations, rebuilding military capabilities and recruiting fighters. Netanyahu and Katz publicly confirmed the strike and said the Israeli occupation would continue targeting Hamas resistance commanders and fighters.
The martyrdom came amid continued Israeli occupation artillery shelling, gunfire and demolition activity across parts of the Gaza Strip. Reports indicated that intense fire continued particularly around Gaza City and Khan Younis, while Israeli occupation forces continued demolishing Palestinian homes and infrastructure in areas under their control.
Following the martyrdom, Palestinians gathered at Al-Shifa Hospital for funeral prayers and later marched through the streets of western Gaza City carrying the bodies of al-Bayk and Abu al-Foul. Footage from the funeral showed mourners paying tribute to the northern Gaza commander and his aide.
The martyrdom of al-Bayk marks another Israeli occupation strike targeting a senior AlQassam commander and comes amid continued Israeli military presence and airstrikes across Gaza. His martyrdom adds another significant loss to the leadership structure of the northern Gaza Brigade, which has remained engaged in confrontation with the Israeli occupation.
