The Israel Defense Forces stated Saturday evening that an attempted assassination was carried out last night against Ali al-Ammoudi, the deputy head of Hamas's political bureau. According to the IDF, al-Ammoudi is the most senior Hamas figure currently in the Gaza Strip and was hiding among a civilian population at the time of the strike. He is described as the right-hand man of Yahya Sinwar and was involved in the October 7 decision-making as well as the murder of four Israelis. The military said the results of the strike are still being assessed and it is not yet clear whether he was killed.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed Saturday evening that it carried out an airstrike overnight targeting Ali al-Ammoudi, the deputy chairman of Hamas's political bureau in Gaza and the former right-hand man of Yahya Sinwar. The military stated that the strike hit an apartment used for terror activity inside a residential building in Gaza City, and that precautions were taken to minimize civilian harm. The results of the strike remain under review, and al-Ammoudi's fate is still unconfirmed.
The confirmation followed several hours of uncertainty. At approximately 16:34 Jerusalem time, Israeli sources assessed that the assassination attempt had failed. By 16:59, Channel 12's Almog Boker reported that Israeli officials had been unable to verify whether al-Ammoudi was killed. Then, at 21:58, the IDF issued its official statement detailing the target and the operation.
According to the IDF, al-Ammoudi served as Sinwar's personal aide and was involved in decision-making for the October 7, 2023 massacre. The military also said that in 1993 he participated in the murder of four Israelis in Judea and Samaria, and was involved in the 1994 killing of Shin Bet officer Noam-Menahem Cohen in Ramallah. The IDF described al-Ammoudi as the most senior Hamas figure currently in the Gaza Strip and directly active in rebuilding the organization for war.
The fate of al-Ammoudi remains unknown. The IDF stated that the strike was conducted to remove an immediate threat, but acknowledged the results are still being assessed. Palestinian media reported that the strike killed five people, including four women, in Gaza City. No response from Hamas has been issued at this hour.
7 developments
- DevelopingIDF strike kills Hamas cell leader in southern Gaza; 8 reported dead in tent camp attack
- ConfirmedIDF says it killed two Hamas commanders in separate Gaza strikes, including operations company commander
- DevelopingIDF Eliminates 4 Islamic Jihad Commanders in Gaza Strike
- ConfirmedIDF strikes 6 targets across Gaza, eliminates Hamas police chief for northern Gaza Strip
Source and signal
- Open-source intake