The Israel Defense Forces on Saturday said it had killed an Iranian commander who for years helped arm and fund Hamas on behalf of the regime.
Saeed Izadi, commander of the Palestine Corps in the Quds Force, was killed early Saturday during an Israeli strike in the city of Qom.
Izadi was also “one of the orchestrators” of the Oct. 7, 2023, unprovoked Hamas attack on Israel, according to BBC News.
“The blood of thousands of Israelis is on his hands,” IDF chief Eyal Zamir stated, describing it as a “tremendous intelligence and operational accomplishment.”
The IDF found correspondence between Izadi and Hamas in an underground command center in Gaza. (IDF)
“Thanks to the concentrated efforts of the Southern Command, the Intelligence Directorate, and the ISA, these two initiatives to supply Hamas’s military wing in the Gaza Strip with sophisticated weapons valued at tens of millions of dollars did not materialize,” the IDF declared.
Izadi had been sanctioned by the U.S. and U.K. due to his connections with the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, which also played a role in organizing the Oct. 7 terror attacks.
The IDF said later Saturday that it also had killed a second Iranian commander, Benham Shariyari, during a strike on his vehicle in Tehran.
IDF forces are seen operating in Rafah, a city in the Gaza Strip. (IDF Spokesman’s Office)
Shariyari had been “responsible for all weapons transfers from the Iranian regime to its proxies across the Middle East,” including missiles and rockets launched by Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis at Israel, the IDF said.
“Since the outbreak of the war, the IDF has been working to dismantle the military capabilities of the Hamas terrorist organization. The IDF will continue to act against any attempt by the Iranian regime to arm and fund the terrorist organizations that threaten the State of Israel and its civilians,” the IDF said. “The elimination of Izadi constitutes a significant blow to the Iranian regime’s weapons supply and terror financing network.”
