The U.S. military killed Muhammad Salah al-Za’bir, a senior member of an Al-Qaeda-linked group, in northwest Syria on Thursday. This airstrike was part of an ongoing effort to weaken and disrupt militant organizations in the region, as stated by U.S. Central Command.

Al-Za’bir was affiliated with the Hurras al-Din group, which has ties to Al-Qaeda.

Hamas Confirms Death of Military Leader

In a separate development, Hamas confirmed the death of its military leader, Mohammed Deif, following an Israeli airstrike. Although Israel’s Defense Forces (IDF) had announced his death months earlier, Hamas only recently confirmed it. Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida made the announcement in a video statement.

Moreover, Abu Obeida also reported the deaths of other high-ranking Hamas leaders. These include:

  • Ghazi Abu Tama’a, deputy commander of the military wing
  • Raad Thabet, head of combat support
  • Rafa’a Salameh, chief of staff
  • Ayman Nofal, commander of the Central Gaza Brigade
  • Ahmed Ghandour, commander of the Northern Gaza Brigade

Israel’s Airstrike on Deif

To provide further context, Israel had announced the death of Mohammed Deif in August. They claimed he was killed on July 13 in the Khan Younis area. In a post on X, the IDF confirmed the news, stating, “We can now confirm: Mohammed Deif was eliminated.”

Hamas Attack and Israeli Counteroffensive

In addition, on October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a major attack on southern Israel, killing over 1,200 people, mostly civilians. They also kidnapped more than 200 people. In response, Israel launched a counteroffensive in Gaza, which has resulted in over 46,000 Palestinian deaths.

Ceasefire and Prisoner Exchanges

Meanwhile, Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement earlier this month. As part of the ceasefire, several rounds of prisoner exchanges have taken place. On Thursday, Hamas released eight hostages—five Thai farm workers and three dual German-Israeli nationals. In return, Israel freed 110 Palestinian prisoners. This marked the third round of exchanges in the ongoing ceasefire, which is now in its second week.