Israel’s military says it killed the head of Hamas’ naval force in northern Gaza in an airstrike, according to a statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) posted on X. The strike, carried out by a fighter jet on 30 June in Gaza City, killed Ramzi Ramadan Abd Ali Saleh. He was described by the IDF as a key figure in Hamas who had recently been involved in planning attacks at sea against Israeli forces. “ELIMINATED, Commander of Hamas’ Naval Force in northern Gaza and additional terrorists,” the IDF wrote on X. “The terrorist Ramzi Ramadan Abd Ali Saleh was eliminated by the IDF in Gaza City. Saleh was a significant source of knowledge within Hamas and in recent weeks, was involved in planning and advancing maritime terrorist attacks against IDF troops operating in Gaza.” 🔴 ELIMINATED: Commander of Hamas’ Naval Force in northern Gaza and additional terrorists. The terrorist Ramzi Ramadan Abd Ali Saleh was eliminated by the IDF in Gaza City. Saleh was a significant source of knowledge within Hamas and in recent weeks, was involved in planning and… pic.twitter.com/4lbZF4MWLB — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 6, 2025 Two other Hamas members were also killed in the strike Hisham Ayman Atiya Mansour, who was the deputy head of the group’s mortar unit, and Nissim Muhammad Suleiman Abu Sabha, another member of that same unit. The IDF has recently carried out a series of airstrikes targeting top Hamas leaders, including military commander Mohammed Deif and Mohammed Sinwar, the brother of former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The Israeli military says these operations are aimed at weakening Hamas' ability to continue fighting. The war between Israel and Hamas, which began in October 2023, resumed on 18 March after a brief ceasefire. According to Gaza health officials, at least 6,860 Palestinians have been killed and more than 24,200 wounded since the fighting restarted. Overall, the conflict has left over 57,400 Palestinians dead and more than 136,000 injured. Despite the high number of casualties and major damage across Gaza, Hamas still controls parts of the territory. Many of its leaders have been killed, but the group has said it will continue fighting. Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are now displaced. While there was a temporary ceasefire that allowed some aid to enter and a few prisoner exchanges to take place, talks for a longer pause have stalled. (with inputs from agencies)
