Top Hamas Commander and October 7 Attack Mastermind Killed in Israeli Airstrike in Gaza

Top Hamas Commander and October 7 Attack Mastermind Killed in Israeli Airstrike in Gaza
[Gaza City, June 29, 2025] — The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has confirmed the killing of senior Hamas commander and one of the group’s founding members, Hakam Mohammad Isa Al-Isa, who was also identified as the mastermind behind the October 7 attack on Israel.

He was targeted and killed on Friday in a joint airstrike carried out by the IDF and Israel’s internal security agency (ISA) in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City.

Hakam Isa served as the head of Hamas’ military wing’s “Combat Support Headquarters” and was leading efforts to restructure the group’s military infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. He was also in charge of the training headquarters and was a member of Hamas’ General Security Council.

The IDF stated that Isa played a key role in planning and executing the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. In recent times, he remained involved in orchestrating attacks from Gaza against Israeli civilians and soldiers. Israel claims he was actively working to rebuild Hamas’ damaged military framework during the ongoing war.

On the same day, in southern Lebanon’s Mahrouna area, Israeli forces also killed Abbas Al-Hassan Wahbi, a senior intelligence officer of Hezbollah. He was responsible for the intelligence wing of the group’s elite Radwan Force and was involved in weapons transfers and restructuring operations.

In a statement, the IDF said, “This operation represents a clear violation of the temporary understanding between Israel and Lebanon. Israel will continue its military actions to counter any threats.”

These strikes come amid heightened tensions between Israel and Iran. Recently, the IDF has also targeted and killed several top Iranian military officials, including Saeed Izadi, who had long been involved in providing financial and weapons support to Hamas on behalf of Iran.