Israel has announced the killing of a senior Iranian commander allegedly involved in masterminding the deadly Hamas assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

The strike, carried out in the city of Qom early Saturday, reportedly eliminated Saeed Izadi—a key figure in Iran’s Quds Force.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Izadi was "one of the architects" behind the October attack that left approximately 1,200 people dead and led to scores of hostages being taken into Gaza.

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir described the operation as a “significant intelligence and operational success,” declaring that Izadi had the “blood of thousands of Israelis on his hands.”

Tehran has not confirmed Izadi’s death and continues to deny any involvement in the Hamas-led assault.

Izadi led the Palestine Corps within the Quds Force the overseas arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) which coordinates with Palestinian militant factions.

He is believed to have played a central role in the supply of arms and funds to Hamas, facilitating high-level coordination between the IRGC and Palestinian leaders.

Saturday’s strike follows an earlier attempt on Izadi’s life in April 2024, when an Israeli air raid on the Iranian consulate in Damascus narrowly missed him but killed several senior Quds Force commanders.

Israel also claimed responsibility for a separate drone strike later on Saturday, which reportedly killed Behnam Shahriyari, another high-ranking Quds Force officer.

Shahriyari was allegedly transporting weapons for Iran-backed groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah, when he was targeted in western Iran.

If verified, the killings of Izadi and Shahriyari would mark a major setback for the IRGC and its regional networks.

The dual strikes come amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran, now entering their ninth day. Both nations launched fresh attacks on Saturday.

Iran accused Israel of targeting a nuclear facility near Isfahan, while Israel said it struck military installations in southwestern Iran and confirmed that Iranian drones had breached its airspace.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking in Istanbul, warned that any direct involvement by the United States would be "extremely dangerous."

He reiterated in Geneva on Friday that Iran would not return to nuclear negotiations while Israeli strikes continued.

Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump hinted at potential American involvement, suggesting that Iran had “two weeks at most” to agree to talks or face possible U.S. air strikes.

Iranian authorities report that since hostilities began on June 13, at least 430 people

including several top commanders have died and more than 3,500 others have been injured.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency, an independent monitor, puts the unofficial death toll at 657 as of Friday.

In Israel, officials report 25 fatalities, including one death attributed to a heart attack.