Who was Mohammed Izadi? Israel claims top IRGC commander who armed Hamas for Oct 7 attack, eliminated in Qom airstrike

Israel on Saturday (Jun 21) claimed that it had killed Saeed Izadi, head of the Palestine Corps of Iran's elite Quds Force, in a precision missile strike on an apartment in the city of Qom. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, in a statement, declared that Izadi has been eliminated. The killing marks the latest elimination of Iranian high-level commanders by Israel. Calling it a "major achievement" and retribution for the October 7 attack, Katz said that Izadi "funded and armed Hamas ahead of the October 7 massacre".

Who was Mohammad Saeed Izadi?

Izadi was the commander of the Palestine Corps within the IRGC’s elite Quds Force. He is believed to be the lead in overseeing Iran s operational and logistical support to Palestinian militant groups, primarily Hamas and PIJ.

As per the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Centre, Izadi led efforts to smuggle weapons, provide funding, and train terror groups in Gaza and the West Bank.

He is also believed to be responsible for strengthening coordination between Palestinian factions and Hezbollah, as well as the former Assad regime in Syria.

Mohammad Saeed Izadi, as per reports, was a key figure in Iran's support for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). He reportedly helped arm and finance the groups ahead of Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

"He funded and armed Hamas ahead of the October 7 massacre," said Katz.

The Israeli defence minister said that Izadi's elimination was "a major achievement for Israeli intelligence and the Air Force," and added that it was "justice for the murdered and the hostages."

"Israel's long arm will reach all its enemies," he vowed.

Israeli intelligence agencies have long accused Izadi of coordinating multi-front assaults on Israel involving Hamas, Hezbollah, and Syrian proxies.
This comes as Israel reportedlylaunched a series of strikes on Iran’s nuclear site in Isfahan early Saturday. Citing a security official, Iranian state-linked Fars news agency reported that multiple attacks were carried out, with most of the blasts linked to Iranian air defence systems intercepting incoming threats. As per the report, there was no leakage of hazardous materials and no risk to public safety.