IDF ‘assassinates Hamas mastermind of October 7' who founded terror group's military wing in targeted Israeli airstrike
ISRAEL says it has killed one of the last masterminds behind the bloody October 7 attacks.
Senior Hamas commander Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa was "eliminated" in a targeted airstrike on Gaza City, according to the IDF.
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Senior Hamas commander Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa was reportedly killed by the IDF
The Israel Defense Forces said Al-Issa — described as a founding member of Hamas' military wing — was 'eliminated' in an operation on the Sabra neighbourhood.
'Issa led Hamas' force build-up, training, and planned the October 7 massacre,' the IDF posted on X.
As Head of Combat Support, he advanced aerial & naval attacks against Israelis.
'The IDF & [Israel Security Agency] will continue to locate and eliminate all terrorists involved in the October 7 massacre.'
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According to Palestinian reports, Al-Issa was killed along with his wife and grandson, though this has not been independently confirmed.
The IDF later said it had verified his death, according to
Al-Issa is widely believed to have played a pivotal role in orchestrating the October 7 bloodbath on southern Israel that triggered the current war, with terrorists slaughtering kidnapping dozens of innocent people.
The military described him as a 'central knowledge figure' and a high-value target who was instrumental in building Hamas' training and weapons programmes.
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The IDF said in a statement: 'In the past, Issa led Hamas' force-buildup efforts in the Gaza Strip, was one of the founders of its military wing, served as Head of the Training Headquarters, and was a member of Hamas' General Security Council.
'Additionally, Issa played a significant role in the planning and execution of the brutal October 7 massacre.'
Security officials further claimed he co-founded the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades' military academy.
There, he oversaw the training of thousands of fighters and helped shape the group's technological capabilities.
He reportedly brought extensive combat experience from Iraq and Syria when he arrived in Gaza from Syria in 2005.
His killing comes just a week after the IDF and Shin Bet said they had eliminated Ali Saadi Wasfi al-Agha, a senior figure in the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement who was allegedly set to take over as its leader.
Israel has also ramped up strikes on the Kataib al-Mujahideen's leadership — a smaller but reportedly highly lethal armed wing linked to the October 7 atrocities, including the abduction and murder of Israeli civilians and foreign workers.
The latest elimination of Al-Issa underscores Israel's ongoing campaign to hunt down Hamas commanders it holds responsible for the massacre that set off months of relentless fighting in Gaza.
The IDF vowed its operations would continue until all those behind the attacks are 'brought to justice.'
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