The IDF killed Ashraf Nafa, commander of Hamas' military wing in the Tulkarm, and Muhammad Abu Abdu, commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, in a drone strike on the West Bank refugee camp Tuesday morning, according to Palestinian media reports.
The Palestinians reported that five people were killed in the attack, including Nafa, Abu Abdu and two women. Security sources said that five terrorists were killed in the attack.
"An aircraft attacked armed terrorists during an operation in Tulkarm in the Menashe Brigade sector. Forces are exchanging fire," the army said.
The IDF forces pursued the terrorists until they emerged from their hiding place and attacked them. This marks the first airstrike approved by Central Command since its new commander, Avi Blot, assumed his position earlier this month. In May, the IDF had targeted Ashraf Nafa's house, but he was not home at the time.
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, once considered the armed wing of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement, announced their separation from Fatah in 2007 following a ban on armed militias. However, the two groups maintained ties over the years.
In October 2023, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades renounced Fatah, announced their support for Hamas, and participated in the October 7 massacre in southern Israel.