The IDF said Muhammad Abd al-Aziz Abu Zubaida, who headed the group’s Palestine branch, was struck in the Bureij area over the past week under the direction of the Southern Command and the military intelligence directorate.
Abu Zubaida held the most senior position within the Islamic State in Gaza and was responsible for setting policy, planning operations and overseeing attacks across Gaza, the West Bank and the Sinai Peninsula.
The group has been involved in fighting Israeli troops in Gaza, transferring weapons and funneling funds from the West Bank into the territory, the IDF said.
The military said it will continue operations against terrorist organizations in Gaza.