The Israel Defense Forces said it killed Ismail Mohammad Ibrahim Barim, a commander in Hamas’s Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, in a strike in the Khan Yunis area of the Gaza Strip. The military announced the operation on Thursday and said the strike had taken place the previous day.
According to the IDF account reported by Israel National News and The Jerusalem Post, Barim was responsible for holding Edan Alexander, Matan Zangauker and Avera Mengistu in a tunnel in southern Gaza. The military linked that alleged role to the period after the attacks of 7 October. The two reports did not include a response from Hamas or independent confirmation of Barim’s death and activities.
The IDF also alleged that Barim had recently been working on attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians, while helping Hamas restore its operational capacity. It said the strike was intended to remove that threat and accused him of acting in violation of a ceasefire. Those descriptions came from the Israeli military and were not separately substantiated in the reports.
The announcement placed Barim’s killing within a wider series of Israeli strikes against figures the military identified as Hamas operatives. The Jerusalem Post reported that the IDF and Shin Bet separately said they had killed Razek Sahil Suleiman Abu Shahma, described as a former bodyguard to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, and Hazem Mousa. The agencies accused both men of taking part in the 7 October assault on Re’im and of planning further attacks.
The military also announced the deaths of Bilal Ibrahim Saleh Raqi‘i, whom it described as a commander in the Qassam Brigades’ anti-tank forces, and Azzam Rifaat Abd Abadala, identified as a member of Hamas’s Khan Yunis Brigade. The IDF said both were involved in developing attacks against troops and civilians.
Einav Zangauker, the mother of former hostage Matan Zangauker, publicly thanked regular and reserve soldiers and other security personnel after the announcement concerning Barim. She said the operation had brought accountability for the man the IDF says held her son and other captives.
Both publications based their central account on statements from the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. Their agreement therefore reflects a common official source rather than two independent investigations. Neither report described evidence from the scene or explained how the strike was assessed, so their shared details should not be treated as separate confirmation.
The reports provided no details about the method used to verify Barim’s identity after the strike, whether anyone else was killed, or the precise location within Khan Yunis. As a result, the central facts about his alleged role and death remain attributed to the IDF’s account.
