Israel kills Hamas commander Farah Hamed in Gaza drone strike

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released footage of a drone strike that killed Farah Hamed, a high-ranking commander within Hamas’s military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades. The strike occurred on Wednesday in the Sheikh Ijlin neighborhood of Gaza City, specifically on Al-Rashid Street, while Hamed was traveling on a motorcycle.

Hamed was a prominent figure in the Al-Qassam Brigades, previously associated with the ‘Silwad cell’ which operated during the Second Intifada. Originally from the Ramallah area, he was among the Palestinian prisoners released in 2011 during a prisoner exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, after which he was deported to the Gaza Strip.

The assassination takes place during a period of tension despite an existing ceasefire. According to Palestinian health officials, since the declaration of the ceasefire, 1,359 Palestinians have been killed and 4,571 injured, contributing to a total death toll of 73,670 since the conflict began on October 7, 2023.