By Daniel Edu
The militant commander, known as Ali Qadi, has been identified as the mastermind behind the brutal onslaught that occurred in Southern Israel during the early hours of Saturday, October 7, 2023.
In that fateful incident, terrorists executed a coordinated assault from land, sea, and air, resulting in the tragic loss of over 1,000 lives in Israel, with at least 120 individuals being taken hostage.
Israel responded decisively by declaring war on Hamas following the attack. In the ensuing conflict, Israel launched thousands of rockets into Gaza, resulting in the destruction of numerous homes and the loss of more than 2,000 Palestinian lives.
Hamas, the Palestinian militant organization, utilizes the Gaza Strip, a densely populated region housing 2 million residents, as its operational base.
On Saturday, October 14, 2023, the Israeli Army released a statement asserting that Ali Qadi, a company commander within the Hamas ‘Nukhba’ (elite) commando force, had been neutralized by military aircraft.
The statement did not disclose the precise location and timing of the strike. A Hamas official declined to provide any comment on the Israeli announcement.
However, an official speaking to AFP on the condition of anonymity confirmed that Ali Qadi, aged 37, held a leadership position within the elite Hamas force.
Both Israeli and Palestinian authorities have verified that Qadi was one of the more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who had been captured by Hamas in 2006.
It is noteworthy that the Israeli Army apprehended Qadi in 2005 on charges related to the abduction and murder of an Israeli man who was widely reported to have been a broker for the Shin Bet internal security agency.
