Day 964: Hamas Gaza City Deputy Commander Imad Aslim and Northern Gaza Brigade Commander Izz al-Din Beck Confirmed Killed in May 27 IDF Strikes; Funerals Held May 28 as Hamas Military Succession Vacuum Deepens

On May 28, 2026 (Day 964 / Ceasefire Day 231), Hamas-affiliated media reported the funerals of Imad Aslim — deputy commander of Hamas's Gaza City brigade — and Izz al-Din Beck — commander of Hamas's northern Gaza brigade — both killed in separate IDF targeted strikes on May 27, 2026. Their killings occurred on the same day as IDF airstrike that eliminated Hamas Al-Qassam Brigades overall commander Mohammed Odeh in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City. The Aslim/Beck strikes were part of a series of IDF operations on Eid al-Adha (May 27–28) targeting multiple Hamas field commanders simultaneously. The dual confirmation deepens Hamas's military succession vacuum: within a single two-week window (May 15–27, 2026), Israel eliminated three successive Hamas commanders — Izz al-Din al-Haddad (overall military wing head), Mohammed Odeh (his replacement, killed 9 days later), and now two Hamas brigade-level commanders. As of May 28, no new Hamas Al-Qassam Brigades supreme commander had been publicly announced. The systematic targeting represents a direct continuation of Israel's NILI task force (Shin Bet + Mossad joint unit, revealed by the Wall Street Journal on May 21–22, 2026), which maintains a comprehensive database of all approximately 3,000 October 7 participants for kill-or-capture operations. According to a Ynet report on May 28, at least one pre-October 7 senior Hamas Gaza figure remained alive — described as a 'shadowy commander' who had survived Israel's systematic targeting campaign. IDF strikes continued throughout Eid al-Adha, with Israeli operations killing at least 10 people in overnight strikes on al-Rimal, Gaza City (including four children). The Gaza Government Media Office documented 3,005+ Israeli ceasefire violations since the October 10, 2025 ceasefire began. All 251 October 7 hostages have been accounted for since January 26, 2026.