IDF Targets Senior Hamas Official Ali al-A'amoudi in Gaza; Hamas Investigates Survival

The Israeli military (IDF) attempted to assassinate senior Hamas official Ali al-A'amoudi in Gaza City on Friday night. Al-A'amoudi is considered a powerful figure in the organization's leadership in the Strip and a potential successor to Yahya Sinwar. An Israeli security source stated that al-A'amoudi was the target of the strike on a building in the western part of the city.

As of Saturday evening, there was no confirmation of his death, and Hamas expressed doubt about the success of the operation. Palestinian medical and rescue sources reported that five people were killed in the strike, including four women. Al-A'amoudi was not among the reported fatalities. The IDF has not issued an official statement on the operation's outcome.

Al-A'amoudi is a member of Hamas's political bureau and a long-time associate of Sinwar. He was previously imprisoned in Israel from 1994 and released in the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange. He later served as Sinwar's office manager and in 2021 was elected to the political bureau and appointed head of the organization's information system. His standing has grown since the assassinations of Sinwar and other senior figures, making him a central figure in Hamas's management of Gaza.

While referred to as "Sinwar's successor," this is not an official title. According to Ynet, al-A'amoudi is competing with Nizar Awadallah for leadership of the Hamas political bureau in Gaza, with the election process undecided. Other media outlets describe him as the de facto leader of the organization in Gaza.

Separately, new details emerged regarding the co-pilot involved in an incident on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Israel. Two sources identified the suspect as Hamam Al-Hamami, an Omani citizen. Al-Hamami was born in the UAE to an Omani father and Syrian mother. The UAE officially declared the event a terrorist attack attempt, stating Al-Hamami attacked the captain with an emergency axe in the cockpit and tried to seize control of the plane. Passengers and crew subdued him, and he was arrested after the flight landed in Saudi Arabia. He was subsequently transferred to Abu Dhabi, where an investigation is ongoing, with expected Israeli participation.

International reports support an Israeli theory that the co-pilot intentionally tried to crash the plane. Reuters reported witnesses describing him hitting the control panel, and Israeli officials believed he intended to crash the aircraft. However, the UAE has not publicly stated whether his intention was to crash the plane specifically over Israeli territory. It was also revealed that Al-Hamami had previously been banned from flying with Oman Air due to suspected extremist views but was later hired by Flydubai. AP reported that the investigation has not yet found links to any specific terrorist organization, and the possibility he acted alone is being examined.