Israel Kills Brother of Islamic Jihad Commander to Lure Him to Funeral

On Friday, Israel assassinated the brother of a senior Islamic Jihad military wing commander in Gaza, aiming to lure the commander to the funeral for a targeted killing. The operation took place in the Nuseirat refugee camp, where Taher Abd al-Wahad was killed by an airstrike as he left a tent to go to a mosque. Israeli officials reportedly sought to eliminate the commander himself, who did not attend the funeral.

According to sources in Gaza cited by the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, Israel attempted to assassinate the commander four times during the recent conflict and after a ceasefire took effect. The first attempt occurred on October 24, 2023, when an airstrike on the commander's apartment in Nuseirat killed 18 Palestinians and severely wounded the commander, who later recovered. Another attempt on October 25, 2023, involved firing a missile at the commander's mobile phone after the ceasefire began. The missile hit a messenger holding the phone, injuring him, while the commander, nearby, survived.

Despite these efforts, the commander did not attend his brother's funeral. When his associates approached the funeral site, another strike killed seven Palestinians, including two of the commander's aides. The Israeli military's strategy appears focused on targeting senior Islamic Jihad figures through indirect means, including targeting family members to provoke their presence.