Gabriel Epstein Profile picture
Feb 26 9 tweets 6 min read Read on X
Today, Palestinian Islamic Jihad announced 20 more commanders killed in Gaza, including journalists, the head of therapeutic nutrition at Nasser Hospital, and other figures. A few highlights below and a summary: 🧵 Image
Ayman Suleiman Abu Tayr (ID#: 801367459, age 39), a commander in PIJ’s Central Operations Unit, was also a licensed nurse and the head of Nasser Hospital’s Therapeutic Nutrition Unit. He was killed in a June 2025 airstrike. Image
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Alaa Sobh Hamouda al-Hour (ID#: 803500826, age 31), a commander in PIJ’s Financial Administration Unit, was also a psychological counselor at the government-run Muin Bseiso elementary school in Khan Younis. al-Hour was killed in an October 2023, airstrike. Image
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Zakaria Fathi Musleh Abu Ghali (ID#: 800705998, age 36), a commander in PIJ’s Central Military Media Unit, was also a journalist for the PIJ-affiliated al-Quds al-Youm. Abu Ghali is not listed by the CPJ or IFJ as a journalist, but he is by other trackers. He was killed in a February 2024 airstrike.Image
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Sami Musa Abdulkarim Daoud (ID#: 801556390, age 39), a commander in PIJ’s Central Information Unit, was also a cameraman for the government-run Rawafed educational channel. He is not listed as a journalist by the CPJ or IFJ, but is by other trackers. Image
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Mohammed Fayez Abd al-Hassani (ID#: 803140169, age 34), a commander in PIJ’s Central Operations Unit, was also the executive director of the Rawasi Palestine Foundation and a journalist who wrote occasional articles. He was killed in an October 2023 airstrike, and is not listed by the CPJ, but by the IFJ and some other trackers.Image
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Some other interesting details: Zaki Ishtawi Mohammed al-Masri (ID#: 931661839, age 42), signal corps commander in PIJ's Central Brigade, was killed in an airstrike in the al-Aqsa hospital courtyard in September 2024. Image
Meanwhile, Samer Shehadeh Jabr al-Nuwairi (ID#: 400764163, age 29), commander in PIJ's Central Information Unit, was killed in a strike near a soup kitchen operated by the Qawatef al-Khair foundation, which has been sanctioned by the U.S. for ties to Hamas. Image
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In sum, of 20 PIJ commanders:
- 11 are tied to central PIJ units
- 9 are unit heads at the brigade level

5/20 have a known dual civilian role including:
- 3 journalists/media workers
- 1 medical worker — the head of Nasser Hospital’s therapeutic nutrition department
- 1 medical/educational worker — a psychological counselor at a government-run school

All 20 commanders can be found on the November 2025 MOH death toll list.Image

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More from @GabrielEpsteinX

Jul 10
Ibrahim Rizq Nimr Arshi (ID#: 802379503, age 35), director of Turkish NGO IHH's nutrition program in Gaza, was a squad leader in the training section of Palestinian Islamic Jihad's central operations unit, Gaza Brigade. Arshi was killed in June 2025 with another PIJ militant. 🧵 Image
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Arshi was identified as IHH's (also known as the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation) nutrition program director in Gaza in interviews for multiple al-Jazeera articles from March-May 2025, as well as by the Lebanese newspaper an-Nahar (which referred to him as a social protection officer with IHH instead) and the Hamas-affiliated Shehab news agency.Image
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Memorial posts from family members also show Arshi with an IHH vest during food distributions in undated photos. Image
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Read 7 tweets
Jun 19
On June 18, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) published notices for 20 of its slain squad-level leaders in Gaza, bringing the total number of commanders and officers identified since February to 497 across 21 releases. This reflects a shift towards announcing lower-tier military figures. 🧵Image
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In general, these squad-level leaders are more difficult to find information on than higher-ranking commanders. In other cases, they do not appear on the Hamas-run Ministry of Health (MOH) death toll registry despite their deaths being well-publicized.
An example is Mustafa Ismail Mustafa al-Wadiyya, a Nukhba squad leader in PIJ’s Gaza Brigade. His death (and those of at least two brothers who were also PIJ militants) has widely documented by relatives and PIJ-affiliated channels since at least July 2024, but he does not appear on the MOH list.Image
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Read 9 tweets
Jun 15
On June 13, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) published notices for 16 more slain military officers in Gaza, bringing the total identified since February to 477 across 20 releases. This set focuses primarily on the Khan Younis Brigade and includes an NGO board member. 🧵 Image
Mohammed Zayed Hamed Zaqmat (ID#: 921895991, age 53), a board member of the National Development Forum educational and cultural NGO, was a platoon deputy in PIJ’s military judicial unit in the Khan Younis Brigade. Zaqmat was killed in an October 2023 airstrike along with several relatives, including one son, Zayed Mohammed Zayed Zaqmat (ID#: 803879220, age 30), who was a militant.Image
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Alaa Ismail Salem Abu Lahia (ID#: 400603866, age 30), a worker at the Zamzam Water Distribution Company, was a platoon deputy within the infrastructure file in PIJ’s Khan Younis Brigade. Abu Lahia was killed in August 2025. Image
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Read 8 tweets
Jun 12
On June 9, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) published notices for 19 more slain officers in Gaza, bringing the total identified since February to 461 across 19 releases. This set includes two journalists, a police officer, and a tribal relations official. 🧵 Image
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Read 9 tweets
Jun 11
Jumaa Salah Fares Siam (ID#: 900544701, age 46), part of Palestinian Islamic Jihad's coordination file in the Gaza Brigade, publicly worked as a member of PIJ's Public Relations and Reform Committee--responsible for the tribal file in Gaza. Siam was killed in November 2024.🧵 Image
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Siam worked for the Reform committee dating back to at least 2013, and was also an important member of his own clan. Image
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An underexplored (and difficult to research) aspect of militant group control in Gaza is their relationship with clans. Coercive efforts, like attacks on the Dughmush and Majayda clans, are well-publicized, but the more subtle day-to-day expressions of power seem to have much more to do with relationship management and internecine politics.

The Public Relations and Reform Committee that Siam sat on for over a decade is a clear example of PIJ's efforts to exert political influence over Gaza clans -- it handled both the movement's relationships with clans and was involved in mediating inter-clan disputes.
Read 4 tweets
Jun 10
Another Gazan militant/journalist: Helmi Mohammed Helmi al-Faqawi (ID#: 401814496, age 28), who worked for the PIJ-affiliated Palestine Today TV outlet, was a deputy squad/platoon-level leader in PIJ's central military media unit in the Khan Younis Brigade. al-Faqawi, killed in an April 2025 strike, was one of several family members involved with PIJ. 🧵Image

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Jamal Aref Salem al-Faqawi (ID#: 402220396, age 27), a journalist at the PIJ-affiliated Mithaq Media Foundation, was a deputy platoon/squad leader in PIJ's central support and supply unit in the Khan Younis Brigade. Jamal was killed in an October 2023 strike, and was first ID'd by @MiddleEastBuka. Both Helmi and Jamal were claimed by PIJ in the same June 9 media release.Image
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I mentioned Helmi al-Faqawi in this earlier identification of Arafat al-Faqawi, a court clerk in Rafah and PIJ commander.
Read 4 tweets

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