Top Hamas commander, Oct 7 planner, killed in 'Israeli' operation, says 'Israeli' army

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) confirmed on Saturday that a joint operation targeted and killed a senior Hamas military council member in Gaza City on Friday.

The strike eliminated Abu Omar Al-Suri, a Syrian national of Palestinian origin who played a significant role in Hamas’ military operations and training.

Activists close to Hamas announced Abu Omar’s death without providing further details. Though not widely known within Gaza, activists said he was killed in an Israeli strike south of the city on Friday evening.

Hamas supporters say Abu Omar came from Syria in 2005 to transfer his experience to Gaza’s resistance. He contributed extensively across various areas, founding the Qassam Brigades Academy, which has graduated thousands of fighters. Thanks to his expertise, he introduced diverse scientific and technical knowledge across multiple military specializations.

Hamas activists noted that Abu Omar was originally from Burqa, near Nablus in the occupied West Bank. He was also one of the key planners of the October 7 Al-Aqsa Flood operation.

Through social media and WhatsApp groups, Hamas supporters emphasized Abu Omar’s crucial role in the technical and structural development of the Qassam Brigades, calling him one of the few individuals with a “real impact” on Gaza’s resistance.

Later, Palestinian Telegram channels identified Abu Omar Al-Suri as Hakem Al-Issa. Neither Hamas nor the Qassam Brigades has yet released an official statement or obituary regarding his death.