An Israeli airstrike on Saturday killed Iman Zareb, a senior commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, along with two other fighters, according to defense officials. Zareb, a key figure in the Iran-backed group’s Rafah Brigade, led the elite forces during the October 7 massacre in Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet Security Service announced the killing in a joint statement, stating that Zareb was preparing Islamic Jihad fighters to confront Israeli forces in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, a stronghold of the Hamas terror group. Israel has indicated that it may launch an offensive into Rafah imminently if truce and hostage deal talks break down.

Zareb led a group of Islamic Jihad commandos in the October 7 assault on Kibbutz Sufa and a nearby military post, which killed at least 10 people. The attack was part of a broader onslaught led by Hamas, with units from smaller terrorist groups, including Islamic Jihad, participating in the brutal killings and kidnappings across southern Israel.

Islamic Jihad is considered the second most powerful group in Gaza after Hamas, with thousands of operatives and an extensive arsenal. It is blacklisted as a terror group by the United States, European Union, and others.

The Israeli statement alleged that Zareb “commanded and directed” several attacks and attempted infiltrations into Israel in recent years, without providing details. There was no immediate comment from Islamic Jihad on the assassination.

Israel claims to have killed at least 13,000 fighters inside Gaza, along with around 1,000 killed inside Israel on October 7 and in the days immediately after. The killing of Zareb is a significant blow to Islamic Jihad, and it remains to be seen how the group will respond to his death.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)