Israel tried on Thursday to kill Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem, the only senior figure from the group to have appeared publicly in Gaza in recent weeks, as it presses a campaign of assassinations against Hamas leaders and prominent operatives, particularly in its armed wing.
Qassem survives
Several Israeli media outlets cited local reports saying Qassem had been seriously wounded after a Hamas-affiliated media activist posted about the attack on X.
But informed Hamas sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Qassem had survived and was in good health.
They said he had left the vehicle targeted by an Israeli drone near Haidar Roundabout, west of Gaza City, only minutes before the strike. His escort was killed.
Israel had not commented on the attack by the time of publication.
The attempt came days after Qassem appeared at a news conference announcing the dissolution of the Government Work Follow-up Committee, Hamas’ governing body in Gaza.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the move misleading, saying Hamas still refused to disarm.
Qassem, 46, is one of Hamas’ younger and most prominent figures in Gaza. He has appeared regularly in interviews and news conferences and has repeatedly spoken positively about negotiations in Cairo.
His position has at times differed from that of Hamas leaders abroad, who have offered a different assessment of conditions in Gaza, drawing criticism of him from inside and outside the movement.
Israel widens its targets
A Hamas political source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the attack showed Israel was expanding its target list and seeking to eliminate anyone who emerged as a public symbol of the movement.
The source said Israel was targeting Hamas figures across political, military, economic, religious and social spheres.
Qassem was wounded at least once during the war and suffered a serious injury that nearly led to the amputation of his foot. He later recovered.
He remained in northern Gaza and did not move south during the early siege of the area, when Israel controlled the Netzarim Corridor separating northern Gaza from the central and southern parts of the enclave.
Israel has repeatedly targeted Hamas spokesmen during the war.
Among them was Abdel Latif al-Qanou, who had served alongside Qassem since 2016. He was killed in March 2025 in a strike on a tent where he was living in Jabalia, northern Gaza.
The Hamas source said Qassem had become one of the movement’s main political figures in Gaza after the killing of many senior leaders and had recently emerged as its most visible media representative.
He also takes part in decisions made through consultations within Hamas institutions, the source said.
Qassem recently represented Hamas at Fatah’s eighth conference after receiving an invitation from its leadership.
His attendance drew criticism from parts of Fatah’s grassroots base because of his repeated public attacks on the movement’s leadership and the Palestinian Authority.
Some Fatah leaders defended his participation, saying it was important given the state of internal Palestinian affairs.
Assassinations continue
The attempt on Qassem was the most prominent since the killing of senior commanders from the general staff of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, including Ezz al-Din al-Haddad, Mohammed Odeh and Imad Islim.
It came as Israel continued to target senior operatives from Hamas and other Palestinian factions.
In recent days, Israeli forces have focused on members of the Al-Quds Brigades, Islamic Jihad’s armed wing, who took part in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack and were involved in holding Israeli hostages.
Asharq Al-Awsat documented the killing of at least five of them in less than two weeks.
Among the latest was Rashid al-Qadi, killed on Wednesday. Israel said he worked in Islamic Jihad’s military manufacturing unit.
Israel said on Friday that it had killed Yahya Hamdan in Khan Younis a day earlier. It said he belonged to Hamas’ elite Nukhba force and had taken part in the attack on the Re’im military base on Oct. 7.
Israel also killed Waheed Abu Salem, a Khan Younis resident, on Tuesday. It accused him of taking part in the attack and of capturing and holding Israeli hostages.
Asharq Al-Awsat learned that Abu Salem had worked with Ahmed Sarhan, a commander in the Al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades.
An Israeli special forces unit had previously entered Khan Younis and killed Sarhan during an attempt to capture him.
Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat at the time that Sarhan had been responsible for capturing and holding Israeli civilian Arbel Yehoud.
Israel had insisted on her release under hostage exchange agreements before allowing displaced Palestinians to return from southern Gaza to the north.
One of the most prominent figures killed in recent days was Fadi Daghmash, a senior Qassam Brigades commander whose rank was equivalent to brigade commander.
He had previously held a rank equivalent to battalion commander before moving from the training department to military logistics.
Israel also killed Hamouda Abu Daqqa and Mohammed Abu Taima, both from Khan Younis, in separate strikes.
The two were commanders in Hamas’ elite forces and military intelligence and had been involved in major attacks and in holding Israeli hostages.
Israel also killed Huthaifa al-Hawajri, a Jabalia resident who had seized an Israeli drone after it crashed in Gaza City’s Rimal neighborhood during the war.
