Israel Kills Hamas Co-founder Al-Issa

Israel Kills Hamas Co-founder Al-Issa

An Israeli airstrike has killed Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa, a senior Hamas military commander and key architect of the October 7, 2023, attack that ignited the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, the Israel Defence Forces announced Saturday.

Al-Issa, one of the last surviving founding members of Hamas’ military wing, was targeted and killed in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City.

According to the IDF, he was instrumental in organising and leading Hamas’ military buildup, training operations, and combat planning, including the October 7 attack that resulted in mass casualties and marked the beginning of large-scale hostilities in Gaza.

The IDF described Al-Issa as a central figure in Hamas’ military operations, stating he advanced aerial and naval tactics used against Israeli forces.

“Issa led Hamas’ force build-up, training, and planned the October 7 massacre. 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,” said an IDF post on X.

He previously held the position of Head of Combat Support and played a critical role in shaping the group’s training programs and rebuilding its organisational structures in recent months.

Al-Issa co-founded the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades’ military academy, where thousands of Hamas fighters were trained. He had been based in Gaza since 2005 after relocating from Syria.

At the time of the airstrike, he was reportedly with his wife and grandson.

The IDF emphasised that its forces, in coordination with the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), would continue efforts to track down and eliminate individuals responsible for the October 7 attack.

Al-Issa’s death follows a series of similar operations targeting top militant leaders. Just days earlier, Israeli forces killed Asaad Abu Sharia, head of the Palestinian Mujahideen Brigades, in a joint IDF–Shin Bet operation. Abu Sharia was reportedly involved in the kidnapping and killing of hostages during the October 7 incursion.

Last month, the IDF also confirmed the death of Mohammad Sinwar, another high-ranking Hamas commander and brother of the group’s top leader, Yahya Sinwar. Mohammad Sinwar was killed in an airstrike while hiding in tunnels beneath a Gaza hospital.