The military wings of the movements "Hamas" and "Islamic Jihad" in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, lead the military confrontations with Israel, represented by "Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades" and "Al-Quds Brigades," as they are the largest armed factions in the region with the most equipment and manpower. Palestinian factions in Gaza do not disclose their military leaders or the nature of their assignments unless they are assassinated by Israel. However, reports have revealed some military names managing the battles and participating in military decision-making.
Despite the strict secrecy from "Al-Qassam" regarding the names of its military leaders, it has disclosed some names, particularly its overall commander, Mohammed Deif, who is considered Israel's number one target.
**Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades**
- **Mohammed Deif**: The overall commander of Hamas' military wing, little information is available about him. Israel accuses him of managing all military operations against it that originate from Gaza, having failed to assassinate him multiple times. He is Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, known as "Abu Khaled" or "Deif," born in Gaza in 1965. He has survived several Israeli assassination attempts that left him severely injured, and several of his family members were killed in one of those attempts. Deif comes from a Palestinian refugee family that was displaced in 1948 from the village of Kaukab, northeast of Gaza City, after the Palestinian Nakba, and they still reside in the Khan Yunis refugee camp.
Deif plays a significant role in developing Hamas' military wing and rarely appears in the media, emerging mainly during battles or wars. He has made audio statements in 2014, 2021, and 2023, all during wars between Hamas and Israel.
- **Marwan Issa**: The deputy commander of Al-Qassam Brigades, considered by Israel to be the effective leader of Hamas’ military wing due to Mohammed Deif's health condition; he serves as a link between Hamas' political and military wings. Born in 1965 in Gaza, he was one of the prominent Hamas activists arrested by Israel during the first Palestinian intifada in 1987 and spent five years in prison. He assumed the role of deputy commander following the assassination of Ahmad Jabari by Israel in 2012.
- **Mohammed al-Sinwar**: A member of Al-Qassam’s military council and the brother of the head of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya al-Sinwar. He commands the Khan Yunis Brigade and is accused by Israel of supervising several operations carried out through tunnels, including the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006. Al-Sinwar has survived assassination attempts, the latest of which was in 2021, and he is one of the most influential leaders in Al-Qassam regarding military decisions.
- **Mohammed Shabana**: The commander of the Rafah Brigade in Al-Qassam, who took the position after Israel assassinated three leaders of Hamas' military wing in 2014. There is limited information available about him or the nature of his tasks.
- **Abu Obeida**: The military spokesperson for Al-Qassam Brigades; Hamas has not disclosed his real name, and his work is primarily focused on the media. He is also one of the individuals wanted by Israel. He began his work in 2006 by announcing the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, and he frequently appears at conferences and media events held by Hamas' military wing.
**Al-Quds Brigades**
- **Akram al-Ajouri**: Following the assassination of most of its leaders in military confrontations between August 2022 and May 2023, Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, has refrained from disclosing the names of its leaders to ensure their safety. Akram al-Ajouri is a prominent political and military leader in Islamic Jihad, head of the movement’s military department, and responsible for its military supplies, particularly regarding missiles and transporting weapons to Gaza, as well as training personnel abroad. Al-Ajouri has become a member of the political bureau and the Shura Council of the movement and plays an important role in funding and arming it. Israel attempted to assassinate him in Syria in 2019, but the attempt failed.
