Al-Qassam leader Ahmed Hammad Thabet was killed in an assassination a short while ago near Faisal Tower in the central Gaza Strip, according to an updated X post by activist Hamza Al-Masri published during the 29-minute reporting window from 6:17 PM to 6:47 PM UTC on January 8, 2026. Thabet is the brother of Raed Thabet, a member of the Military Council, as stated in Al-Masri's post. The activist described the incident as resulting in Thabet's 'martyrdom.' No official statements from Israeli or Palestinian authorities confirming the assassination were reported in sources during this period. Al-Masri, who earlier reported Israeli aircraft strikes in Beit Lahia and north of Gaza City over the previous hour, provided this update amid ongoing hostilities.
