Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades
Abu was the second senior Hamas member to be killed in the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict after Nizar Rayan. He was killed by Israeli air strikes in Gaza on 3 January 2009. Zakaria al-Jamal was commander of Gaza City's rocket-launching squads, belonging to Hamas' military wing, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.