Ahmed Abu Ghandour | |
|---|---|
| Native name | أحمد أبو غندور |
| Birth name | Ahmed Abu Ghandour |
| Other name | Abu Anas al-Ghandour |
| Born | c. 1967 |
| Died | November 10, 2023(2023-11-10) (aged 55–56) |
| Cause of death | Israeli airstrike |
| Allegiance |  Hamas |
| Military wing | Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades |
| Years of service | 1980s–2023 |
| Rank | Commander |
| Unit | Northern Gaza Brigade |
| Commands | Northern Gaza Brigade |
| Known for | Senior Hamas commander; close confidant ofMohammed Deif; role in2006 Gaza cross-border raid |
| Conflicts | |
| Other work | Member of Hamas Shura Council and Political Bureau |
Ahmed Abu Ghandour,[1] also known asAbu Anas al-Ghandour (1967 – 10 November 2023), was a Palestinian senior militant in theIzz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing ofHamas. As commander of the Northern Gaza Brigade, he was a member of the Al-Qassam Brigades' General Military Council and was considered to be a close confidant of Hamas military commanderMohammed Deif. In 2017, Ghandour was designated by the United States as aSpecially Designated Global Terrorist. In November 2023, he was killed by an Israeli airstrike amid theGaza war.
Ghandour was born in approximately 1967 inJaffa,Israel.[2]Ghandour was detained in Israel between 1988 and 1994, after which he was inPalestinian Authority detention from 1995 to 2000. He was released after the outbreak of theSecond Intifada. In 2002, he survived the first assassination attempt by Israel.[3]
By 2003, Ghandour was a close aide to Hamas bombmakerAdnan al-Ghoul. After an attack by Hamas militants on an Israeli tank in February 2003, theIsrael Defense Forces (IDF) demolished Ghandour's house in theSheik Radwan neighborhood ofGaza City. Israel believed Ghandour was responsible for planning the attack.[4]
By 2004, Ghandour commanded the Northern Branch of theIzz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades.[3][5] In this role, he was the senior Hamas battlefield commander during the2004 Israeli operation in the northern Gaza Strip and was involved in leading a number of operations including the2006 Gaza cross-border raid that led to the abduction of Israeli soldierGilad Shalit. Ghandour was targeted for assassination again in 2012.[3] According to the IDF assessments, Ghandour dispatched the fiveNukhba forces militants who attempted to infiltrate Israel in the2014 Zikim attack during the2014 Gaza war.[6][7]
According to the United States government, Ghandour was part of theHamas Shura Council and Political Bureau.[2] By 2017, he was a member of the General Military Council of the brigades and was considered to be a close confidant ofMohammed Deif.[3]
The U.S. State Department designated Ghandour as aSpecially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) on 6 April 2017. He was the fifth senior Hamas member designated as a SDGT. In response, Hamas called the U.S. move "unethical" and held a solidarity sit-in at Ghandour's house in theJabaliya refugee camp.[3]
The IDF killed Ghandour and his deputy Wael Rajab in an airstrike on 10 November 2023 during theGaza war.[8][9][10] ThreeIsraeli hostages were also killed in the attack:Elia Toledano,Nik Beizer, andRon Sherman.[11][12]
