By Pesach Benson • June 8, 2026
Jerusalem, 8 June, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Three senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad figures involved in rebuilding the terroor group’s capabilities were killed in an airstrike in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Monday.
According to the IDF, those killed were Muhammad Atiya Hassan Abu Afash, head of the engineering and specializations array in PIJ; his deputy, Farhat Zuhair Farhat Harara; and Abdallah Allah Riyad Masoud Qadoum, who headed the group’s anti-tank missile unit in northern Gaza.
The military said Abu Afash was responsible for developing engineering capabilities and had been involved in attacks against Israeli troops, while Qadoum advanced multiple anti-tank operations over recent years.
Harara, described as a close associate of the engineering unit head, was killed alongside him in the same strike.
