Senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad's son killed while trying to escape Rafah tunnel

Abdullah Hamad, son of senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad, was reportedly killed in Rafah on Sunday while attempting to escape from a tunnel, according to local Palestinian media and family statements shared on social media. The Quds News Network, affiliated with Hamas, confirmed that Hamad was among those killed by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) during the incident.

Family members, including Mohammed Hamad, have publicly confirmed Abdullah's death. Mohammed Hamad described his son as leaving "bravely, not fleeing, under siege and in combat in the tunnels of Rafah," adding that Abdullah "met The Almighty with contentment and faith." He expressed that what troubled him most was knowing Abdullah had endured hunger, thirst, and exhaustion underground, just kilometers away, without being able to reach him.

The IDF has not officially verified Abdullah Hamad's death. Last week, Israel reportedly offered a proposal to Hamas, allowing fighters trapped in tunnels to surrender and be detained instead of killed, according to N12. An Israeli source stated, "We gave the terrorists in Rafah the option to live and be released from there. Up until this moment, they have not agreed to meet the conditions we set. It seems as if they have decided to become martyrs." Hamas, which previously demanded immunity for fighters in tunnels, communicated via Telegram that surrender was not an option.

Ghazi Hamad, born in 1964 in the Yibna Refugee Camp, holds a leadership position in Hamas and previously served as spokesman for the 2006 Palestinian Authority-Hamas coalition government. He is now a member of Hamass political bureau and has represented the organization in Doha negotiations. Earlier this year, he survived an Israeli strike in Doha. Ghazi Hamad has defended Hamas operations, including the October 7 attacks, in international media and has previously justified the abduction and killing of infants, stating it was a method to exert pressure on Israel.

Author: Sophia Brooks