Israel’s military announced on Saturday that it had killed a senior Iranian commander accused of coordinating military efforts with Palestinian militant group Hamas. The airstrike, carried out in the city of Qom, south of Tehran, reportedly eliminated Saeed Izadi, head of the Palestine Corps of Iran’s Quds Force.

In an official statement, the Israeli military described Izadi as the “key coordinator between the Iranian regime and the Hamas terrorist organization.” The Quds Force is the overseas operations unit of Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

According to Israel, Izadi was one of the main orchestrators of the October 7 attack launched by Hamas that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. He was also said to be among the few individuals who had prior knowledge of the assault.

Iran, however, has repeatedly denied involvement in Hamas’s October 7 offensive, rejecting claims that it had a direct role in planning or supporting the attack.

A separate statement from the Israel Defense Forces called Izadi a central figure in Iran’s long-term plan to destroy Israel. The IDF said he had been tasked with military coordination between top IRGC commanders, Hamas leaders, and Iranian officials. His role reportedly included facilitating increased financial support from Iran to Hamas for its attacks against Israel. During the current war, the IDF claimed that Izadi was also responsible for directing Hamas fighters operating in Lebanon and helping rebuild the group’s military wing in Gaza.

The Israeli military said Izadi’s responsibilities reflected his deep involvement in Iran’s support for proxy groups fighting Israel across the region.

During a briefing with reporters, a senior Israeli military official revealed that two other Iranian commanders were also killed in separate Israeli strikes overnight. The official identified them as Behnam Shahriyari and Aminpour Judaki.

Shahriyari, described as the head of Unit 190 of the Quds Force, was accused of overseeing efforts aimed at “annihilating Israel,” the official said. “What Izadi was for Hamas, Shahriyari was for Hezbollah,” the official added, alleging that Shahriyari was responsible for transferring funds to armed groups hostile to Israel.

The Israeli military also claimed that Judaki led the drone unit of the IRGC and had been behind “hundreds of UAV attacks against Israel.”

Iran has not publicly confirmed the deaths of the three commanders or their reported positions within its military ranks.

The recent escalation followed a series of Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory, launched last week. Israeli authorities argued that the strikes were necessary, alleging that Tehran was nearing nuclear weapons capability, a claim that Iran has consistently denied.

The Israeli military campaign has focused on assassinating senior Iranian military officials, dismantling parts of Iran’s air defense systems, and launching strikes on suspected nuclear facilities.

Retaliatory attacks from Iran have led to at least 25 deaths in Israel since June 13, according to official figures. Meanwhile, Iran said Israeli strikes have killed at least 224 people, including military leaders, scientists, and civilians. However, the Iranian death toll has not been updated since the last official announcement.