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According to Hamas’ military branch, the commander of its northern brigade, Ahmed Al-Ghandour, and three other top leaders were murdered during Israel’s onslaught against the Islamist movement.
The Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement that Ghandour was a member of its military council and that three other officials had killed, including Ayman Siyyam, who Israeli media reported was the chief of the Brigades’ rocket-firing sections.
“We pledge to Allah we will continue their path and that their blood will be a light for the mujahedeen and a fire for the occupiers,” the statement said, without saying when they were killed.
Ghandour, also known as Abu Anas, was classified as a “specially designated global terrorist” by the US in 2017, putting him on an economic sanctions blacklist.
He was described by the State Department as a former member of Hamas’ Shura council and political bureau.
Ghandour “has been involved in many terrorist operations,” according to the report, including a 2006 attack on an Israeli military outpost at the Kerem Shalom border crossing that killed two Israeli soldiers and injured four more.
That attack resulted in the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was held captive by Hamas for five years before being released in exchange for the release of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in 2011.
The declaration came on the third day of a four-day cease-fire in Gaza, which began on October 7 when Hamas terrorists poured into southern Israel, murdering 1,200 people and kidnapping approximately 240 more, according to Israeli police.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-led government, Israel reacted with a bombardment and ground campaign against Hamas, killing nearly 15,000 Palestinians, largely civilians.
So far under the pause deal, Hamas has returned 26 Israeli hostages in two batches, with 78 Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli detention in exchange.
