IDF kills Shejaiya battalion successor in fifth targeted strike since start of war

Al-‘Ajlah succeeded Haitham Rizq Abd al-Karim Sheikh Khalil as commander of Hamas's Shejaiya battalion. Khalil was killed last week. 

 IDF troops operate in northern Gaza, April 4, 2025. (photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
IDF troops operate in northern Gaza, April 4, 2025.
(photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

The IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) struck Shejaiya in Gaza, killing terrorist Muhammad al-‘Ajlah, the military said on Tuesday. 

Al-‘Ajlah succeeded Haitham Rizq Abd al-Karim Sheikh Khalil as commander of Hamas's Shejaiya battalion. Khalil was killed last week. 

Al-‘Ajlah was the fifth commander of Hamas's Shejaiya battalion to be killed since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war and the third since the start of the renewed operations in Gaza, the military noted.

 IDF kills Hamas terrorists in Gaza, April 15, 2025. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)Enlrage image
IDF kills Hamas terrorists in Gaza, April 15, 2025. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Who was al-‘Ajlah?

According to the IDF, al-‘Ajlah served as the commander of a combat support company in the Shejaiya battalion and was responsible for arming the battalion's terrorists with weapons used to carry out terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers