IDF Confirms Death of Senior Hamas Operative Who Planned October 7 Massacre

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the death of Ali Qadhi, a senior Hamas operative accused of orchestrating last Saturday’s surprise attack, which has led to the deaths of at least 1,300 civilians.

“Ali Qadi led the inhumane, barbaric Oct. 7 massacre of civilians in Israel. We just eliminated him. All Hamas terrorists will meet the same fate,” the IDF’s official X account noted on Saturday morning.

Qadi, the company commander of the Nukhba unit, had been previously captured and detained in Israel before his release in 2011 as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner swap. The Hamas operative was arrested in 2005, according to the Israeli Air Force (IAF), “following the kidnapping and murder of Israelis.”

The news came after IDF Brigadier General Daniel Hagari held a press briefing noting that the military had targeted 1,000 strategic locations used by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which has led to the deaths of dozens of members of Qadi’s unit.

The IDF further confirmed the death of Merad Abu Merad, another architect of the October 7 massacres who oversaw Hamas’ so-called “Aerial System” attack forces.

“Last night, IAF fighter jets conducted wide-scale strikes throughout the Gaza Strip. These included dozens of Hamas terror targets as well as ‘Nukhba’ terrorist operatives that were in a staging ground in the Gaza Strip,” the air force released in an official note on X late Friday.

“Furthermore, over the last day, IAF fighter jets struck operational headquarters used by the Hamas terrorist organization from which the terrorist organization’s aerial activity was managed.

“The IDF and the IAF will continue to operate as required in order to defend the State of Israel against the Hamas terrorist organization.”

On Friday, Israel instructed civilians in the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate the area within 24 hours ahead of a seemingly impending invasion. “The IDF calls for the evacuation of all civilians from Gaza City from their homes southwards for their own safety and protection and to move to the area south of the Wadi Gaza, the river Gaza, as shown on the map,” Israel Defense Forces spokesman Jonathan Conricus said Friday morning.

The IDF has called up a record 360,000 reservists since Saturday, tens of thousands of whom have massed on the border with Gaza.