The IDF targeted Hazem Qasem, the spokesman of the Hamas political movement, in a strike west of Gaza City overnight, seriously wounding him. His companion Muhammad AlFayoumi was killed in the attack. The strike comes amid a nine-month ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
At 18:19 Jerusalem on Thursday evening, The Zioneer reported that the IDF struck a vehicle in Gaza City, targeting Hazem Qasem, the political spokesman of Hamas. The strike seriously wounded Qasem and killed his companion, Muhammad AlFayoumi. The attack occurred in the al-Rimal neighborhood, near Al-Shifa Hospital, where Qasem was later treated. The IDF has not issued an official statement.
The Zioneer's reporting on the incident unfolded in a rapid sequence of updates throughout the evening. Initial video footage, published at 18:19 Jerusalem, captured the immediate aftermath of the vehicle strike at the Al-Abbas junction. Within the same hour, Palestinian sources told Al-Arabiya that Qasem had survived the strike and was wounded, while an escort was killed. Israeli journalist Sapir Lipkin, citing sources in Gaza, confirmed the strike and the casualty details. Subsequent reports from Gazan sources clarified that Qasem was seriously wounded, and that his bodyguard Muhammad al-Fayoumi had been killed. A security analyst reported that Qasem was hospitalized at Shifa Hospital. The final update in the thread indicated that a terrorist was eliminated during the attempt, though that report remains unverified.
The strike is part of a broader pattern of targeted killings by the IDF during the nine-month ceasefire with Hamas, which has been in effect since October 2025. As The Zioneer has reported, the IDF has killed a Hamas cell leader in southern Gaza (June 6), a field commander in Khan Younis (July 7), and a Hamas cell disguised as municipality workers near al-Bureij (June 13), among other operations. The targeting of a political spokesman marks a significant escalation, as Qasem is a public-facing figure rather than a military operative.
Several aspects of the incident remain unconfirmed. The IDF has not commented on the strike, and the exact nature of the intelligence that led to the targeting has not been disclosed. The report that a terrorist was eliminated in the attempt is based on unconfirmed reports and has not been independently verified. Additionally, the severity of Qasem's injury and his current condition have not been officially confirmed by medical sources.
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