Yesterday, Palestinian Islamic Jihad published the names of an additional 86 commanders killed during the Gaza war. Due to the list's size, this thread will analyze one half, which includes 3 journalists, 3 nurses, and 2 lawyers, among others. Details below: 🧵
Many of those listed were previously known to be PIJ commanders or to hold dual roles, but others were not previously identifiable from open-source information. I believe most of these initial journalist IDs were first made by @MiddleEastBuka (apologies to anyone who was first). Links for specific persons and the full set of announcements available -- just DM.
Mohammed Mohammed Nasser Kamel Abu Huweidi (ID#: 803434364, age 29), listed as a journalist for the privately owned al-Istiqlal news outlet, was a commander in PIJ’s Central Military Media Unit. Abu Huweidi was killed in a December 2023 airstrike.
Mohammed Nabil Ibrahim al-Zaq (ID#: 400208245, age 29), listed as a journalist for the PIJ-affiliated al-Quds Today TV, was previously known to be a PIJ fighter. This announcement confirmed him as the Head of PIJ’s Central Bureau in the Northern Region. al-Zaq was killed in a November 2023 airstrike.
Salem Hosni Salem Abu Tayr (ID#: 802466995, age 34), listed as the financial manager of and photojournalist for the PIJ-affiliated al-Quds Today TV, was confirmed to be a commander in PIJ’s Military Media Unit in the Central Brigade. According to family members, Abu Tayr initially trained as a nurse. Abu Tayr was killed in an April 2024 airstrike.
Salem Juma Ishaq Sharab (ID #: 801710096, age 36), a nurse at Nasser Hospital and treasurer of the Palestinian Nursing Association, was a commander in PIJ’s Military Ambulance Unit in the Khan Younis Brigade. Sharab was killed in a March 2024 airstrike near the Emirates Hospital in Rafah.
Diaa Nafez Abdulhadi Felfel (ID#: 802233486, age 35), who worked both as a nurse and the emergency room supervisor for the Indonesian Hospital in north Gaza, was a commander in PIJ’s Military Ambulance Unit in its Northern Brigade. Felfel was killed in a May 2024 airstrike.
Ahmed Mohammed Hassan Balousha (ID#: 800114175, age 39), a nurse who a colleague said worked in a corneal transplant unit at the Eye Hospital in Gaza City, was a commander in PIJ’s Military Judiciary Unit in the Gaza Brigade. Balousha was killed in a December 2023 airstrike.
Mohammed Jaber Dakhlallah Abu Mustafa (ID#: 800355760, age 38), founder and executive director of the National Youth Center NGO in Khan Younis, was a commander in the Operations Unit of PIJ’s Khan Younis Brigade. Abu Mustafa was killed in a December 2024 airstrike.
Arafat Abullah Mohammed al-Jarjawi (ID#: 801948613, age 35) was the Deputy Commander of the al-Ourubi Battalion in PIJ’s Khan Younis Brigade. His brother Ashraf al-Jarjawi (circled) is reportedly the Gaza director of the Arab World Research and Development Center (AWRAD), which carries out polling in the strip.
Summary of the first half of the list:
30 of the commanders are directly connected to one of PIJ’s five regional brigades in Gaza, while the other 13 appear to be attached to independent or central units. 38 of the 43 commanders can be found on the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health’s death toll list.
Civilian professions can be found for 10, including:
- 3 journalists
- 3 nurses
- 2 lawyers
Analysis of the second half of the list to come in a separate thread.
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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. 🧵
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.
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. 🧵
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.
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.
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. 🧵
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.🧵
Siam worked for the Reform committee dating back to at least 2013, and was also an important member of his own clan.
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.
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. 🧵
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.
I mentioned Helmi al-Faqawi in this earlier identification of Arafat al-Faqawi, a court clerk in Rafah and PIJ commander.
On June 6, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) published notices for 22 more slain commanders in Gaza, bringing the total identified since February to 442 across 18 releases. This includes media, medical, educational, municipal, and sports workers, among others. 🧵