Residents and family members of two resistance fighters marched through Gaza City on Tuesday to bury their bodies, following an Israeli military strike that targeted a residential apartment in the Al-Nasr neighborhood in western Gaza. The victims were identified as Ezzedin al-Bik, known by his kunya “Abu Hamza Ashmaawi,” who served as the commander of the Northern Brigade within the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and Qassami fighter Mhand Abu Ful.
The funeral procession carried the bodies of the two martyrs toward the Al-Noor Mosque located on Revolution Street, where noon prayers were performed before they were laid to rest. The scene was marked by significant public attendance and visible expressions of grief and anger among the gathered citizens mourning the loss of the prominent military figures.
Al-Bik, born in 1981, is described by Hamas as the “breaker of the generals’ plan.” This designation refers to the strategy implemented by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in 2024 aimed at seizing control of the northern Gaza Strip and displacing its population to the south. According to sources within Hamas, al-Bik joined the movement early in his life, growing up near the Return Mosque in the Jabalia refugee camp. He affiliated with the Qassam Brigades in 2000 alongside senior leaders Suhail Zayada and Ahmed al-Ghandour, the former commander of the Northern Brigade.
His military career advanced rapidly due to his field capabilities. He commanded the First Special Unit of the Northern Brigade and oversaw special operations and commando missions. Al-Bik played a central role during the 2004 Israeli offensive on northern Gaza, which Israel termed “Days of Regret” and Palestinian factions responded to with “Days of Rage,” a seventeen-day campaign involving dozens of clashes, ambushes, and rocket launches that ended with the withdrawal of Israeli forces without achieving their stated objectives.
He also led the “Martyr Imad Aqil Battalion” in western Jabalia for ten consecutive years, managing operations during the 2008 conflict known to Israel as “Operation Cast Lead” and to resistance groups as the “Battle of Furqan.” In addition to combat roles, he served as the head of military intelligence for the Northern Brigade, responsible for gathering information on IDF targets and contributing to the operational planning for the October 7, 2023 attacks.
Israel accuses al-Bik of orchestrating a Kornet missile strike against a military jeep east of Gaza during the “Sword of Jerusalem” events, an operation that resulted in the martyrdom of Qassam leader Nour Baraka. Following the death of Northern Brigade commander Ahmed al-Ghandour on November 26, 2023, al-Bik assumed leadership of the brigade in early December. He directed military operations in areas including Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya, and the Jabalia camps until his death in the recent strike.
