Israeli forces carried out an airstrike early Saturday targeting Ali al-Amoudi, a senior Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, local officials and the Israeli military confirmed. The strike took place in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on the anniversary, according to the Jewish calendar, of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which was the deadliest day in the country’s recent history and triggered a significant Israeli military response.

The Israeli military described al-Amoudi as the "right-hand man" of the late Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by Israel in October 2024. According to the military, al-Amoudi played a key role in planning the October 7 attack and is currently responsible for leading Hamas’s activities in the Gaza Strip, including efforts to rebuild the organization for future conflicts. Israeli officials said they were assessing whether the strike succeeded in killing or injuring al-Amoudi.

Israel stated that it targeted the apartment after intelligence indicated al-Amoudi’s presence there and accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields. The military said it employed precise munitions and took precautions to minimize harm to civilians but expressed regret for any unintended casualties.

Local medical officials from Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital reported receiving five bodies and multiple injured individuals following the airstrike. Among those killed were four women and one man; two of the victims were identified as Christians. Hamas-run civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said the apartment was hit by two missiles, which caused a fire and structural damage.

A funeral for two of the women was held at the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius later on Saturday.

Hamas’s political leader Khalil al-Hayaa, who resides in Qatar, has engaged in diplomatic efforts on behalf of the organization. In July, al-Hayaa agreed to a U.S.-proposed plan for Hamas to disarm, which was welcomed by former U.S. President Donald Trump as a diplomatic breakthrough. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the agreement as insincere, underscoring Israel’s ongoing commitment to dismantle Hamas despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire established roughly a year ago.

The Israeli military’s recent operation is part of its continuing campaign against Hamas, aimed at neutralizing the group’s leadership and operational capabilities in the Gaza Strip.