The conflict between Israel and Hamas started 20 days ago following the gruesome attacks on 7 October by Hamas. Israel has been continuously bombing the Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip as well as Hezbollah’s targets in Lebanon due to which multiple facilities belonging to Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah were destroyed. Furthermore, Israel reported to have eliminated hundreds of terrorists from these organisations.
Hezbollah confirmed that 46 of its fighters including all its top commanders have been assassinated in this war so far. On 14 October, Ali Qadhi was killed by the Israeli military. He was the commander of the Nukhba Special Force, a Hamas special military unit and was involved in the planning of the deadly assault on the Jewish state earlier this month.
He was arrested by Israeli authorities for his involvement in the kidnapping and murder of 51-year-old Israeli businessman Sasson Nuriel but he was released in 2011 as part of the Gilad Shalit (Israeli soldier) prisoner exchange.
Zakaria Abu Maamar who was a member of Hamas’ political office during the 2020s was killed on 10 October. He lost his life in an Israeli Air Force airstrike on Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip during Operation Iron Swords in 2023.
Billal Al Kedra alias Bilal al Qadr who was a senior commander in the Nukhba and involved in the plotting of the 7 October attacks, notably the Kfar Aza, Nirim and Nir Oz massacres was killed. The news about his death first appeared on 14 October which revealed that he was killed in the Khan Yunis area in the southern Gaza Strip on 13 October. The Israeli military confirmed that he was killed during airstrikes on 15 October.
The name of the fourth Hamas commander killed in the airstrike of the Israeli forces on 15 October was Muetaz Eid. He was the commander of the Southern District of National Security of Hamas.
Jawad Abu Shamala Hamas’ Minister of Economy who managed the terror group’s funds and earmarked funds for financing and directing terror in and outside the Gaza Strip was eliminated on 11 October. Zakariya Abu Moammar who was the head of Hamas internal relations was also killed. He was a senior decision-maker and coordinator between terror groups in the Gaza Strip.
Merad Abu Merad, a Hamas leader who led the 7 October attack on Israel was killed by Israel on 14 October. He was commander of the Hamas’s aerial force and was largely responsible for directing terrorists during the massacre. Israeli Air Force fighter jets launched an airstrike to neutralise Ibrahim Al-Saher, the commander of Hamas’ Northern Brigade’s Anti-Tank Missiles Array.
Taysir Mubasher, commander of Hamas’s North Sector Battalion in Khan Younis, was assassinated by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Service). He had directed several deadly operations against both IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians over the years. He previously served as commander of Hamas’ naval forces.
An Israeli attack killed Muhammad Katmash who was the deputy in charge of Hamas’s artillery. He was behind the firing of thousands of rockets at Israel. He was responsible for fire and artillery management in the Central Camp Brigade. He was the Deputy Chief of the Regional Artillery Regiment of the Hamas and was instrumental in thwarting Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.
Ayman Nofal a commander of the central command in the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing and head of air operations was killed during airstrikes. The announcement was made by the Israeli military on 17 October. According to the Israeli military, he was a member of the terror outfit’s General Military Council.
Abdul Fatah Hasan Dukhan also known as Abu Osama, who was a co-founder of Hamas was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on 11 October. He had drafted the 1987 Hamas charter in which he advocated for the annihilation of the Jewish state.
Sami al-Hassani, a reported founder of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (AMB) was killed by an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces stated that they killed Mamdouh Shalabiya, a member of Hamas’ naval commando unit in a strike in the Gaza Strip on 19 October. The assault was carried out by fighter jets and Navy vessels against a Hamas command centre located in the region.
On 24 October the Israel Defense Forces reportedly killed Abed al Rahman, deputy commander of the Nuseirat Battalion, who had led the kibbutz Be’eri massacre where at least 130 people including women, children and infants were murdered and dozens of homes were burnt. He was shot dead by the Israeli military.
The Shin Bet-led Israeli military forces assassinated the deputy commanders of Sheikh Radwan and Shati battalions in Hamas. Both Khalil Tetri and Khalil Mehjez perished in deliberate airstrikes on 24 October.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah announced that its commanders Hussain Hani al-Taweel and Mahdi Mohammad Atouiwas were also killed on 18 October. The group released a statement that mentioned it struck an Israeli Merkava tank near al-Rahib on the Israeli side of the border which resulted in the death and injuries of the tank’s crew members.
The two deceased terrorists “targeted an Israeli Merkava tank belonging to the ‘occupation’ army at 3.15 a.m. (0015GMT) on Wednesday at the site of al-Rahib,” which is opposite Aita al-Shaab in southern Lebanon. “It was a direct hit, leading to the death and injury of its crew,” the notification read. Hussein Mohammad Ali Hariri and Ali Ibrahim Jawad two more assailants from the terror group also died in the conflict.
Notably, a brief ground action by Israeli troops and tanks took place in northern Gaza overnight on 26 October with the intention of “preparing the battlefield” for the much-anticipated full-scale ground attack. The raid was led by the Givati infantry brigade destroyed several terrorist targets.
