Islamic Jihad commander killed by Israeli air strike in Gaza

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said early Thursday that overnight air strikes killed Ali Ghali, the commander of Palestinian Islamic Jihad's rocket force, Azernews reports citing I24.

As part of a joint mission with Shin Bet security agency intelligence, two other members of the group were killed along with Ghali in his hideout. Palestinian sources said the IDF struck a residential building in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip.

Ghali was an central figure in the terrorist organization, responsible for targeting and launching rockets, the IDF said. He was a veteran of several rounds of fighting with Israel, including the 2021 Operation Guardian of the Walls and the 2022 Operation Breaking Dawn.