Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa: Hamas Leader and Oct. 7 Mastermind Killed in Israeli Airstrike

Israeli officials announced on Saturday that their military "eliminated" a key founding member of Hamas and the chief architect of the October 7 assault. Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa was killed in a precision airstrike carried out by the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza City's Sabra neighborhood, IDF said.

Al-Issa was among the last surviving final leaders of Hamas' military wing and a key figure in orchestrating the October 7 attack that ignited the current conflict between Israel and Hamas. "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," said an IDF post on X.

Israel Takes Its Revenge

Al-Issa was considered a "vital source of knowledge" for Hamas and had held several senior roles within the organization before the October 7 attack, including serving as the Head of the Training Headquarters.

He played a major role in restoring Hamas' internal structures that had been weakened in recent months.

Al-Issa also co-founded the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades' military academy, where he trained thousands of militants and helped shape the strategic framework of Hamas' military wing, according to the Jerusalem Post.

He moved to Gaza from Syria in 2005 and was reportedly accompanied by his wife and grandson at the time of the airstrike.

Another Major Blow for Hamas

Issa's death comes just after the Israel Defense Forces announced they had eliminated the leader of a violent Palestinian jihadist faction accused of abducting and executing Hamas hostages taken during the October 7 attack.

Asaad Abu Sharia, the commander of the Mujahideen Brigades, was targeted and killed in a coordinated operation in Gaza City by the IDF and Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence agency.

The IDF also conducted an airstrike last month on a hospital in Gaza, killing senior Hamas leader Mohammad Sinwar.

Sinwar had been hiding in tunnels beneath the facility, and dramatic footage showed IDF troops pulling his body from the rubble.