The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Sunday that it had eliminated a top Hamas commander, identified as Ahmed Arur, who was reportedly involved in the October 7 attack in the West Bank settlement of Ofra, in which seven people were injured.
The statement by the IDF said that Arur had helped plan and direct the attack. The statement also said that Arur had been involved in “numerous” plots to carry out attacks against Israel.
The IDF said that Arur was a senior member of Hamas’s military wing, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, and was responsible for the area around the West Bank settlement of Ofra. The statement also said that he had been providing operational assistance and directives for the attack.
The IDF statement also suggested that Arur had been involved in other attacks against Israel, including rocket attacks aimed at Israeli cities. Hamas has not yet commented on the announcement.
The attack in Ofra occurred at a bus stop near the settlement, and included at least three assailants armed with automatic weapons, stun grenades, and explosive devices. Seven people were injured, including an unborn baby, whose mother was critically injured. The baby eventually succumbed to his injuries.
The attack was the first of a series of similar attacks in the West Bank, in which over a dozen people were killed and dozens were wounded. The attacks have been widely condemned internationally, and have led to increased tensions between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
