An Israeli airstrike earlier this month that killed senior Hamas commander Raed Saad also eliminated a key financial figure within the terror organization, the Israel Defense Forces announced Monday.
According to the IDF, Abd al-Hayy Zaqout, a senior member of Hamas’s finance division, was traveling in the same vehicle as Saad when it was struck on December 13.
Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, said Zaqout played a critical role in funding Hamas’s military operations. Over the past year, he was responsible for raising and transferring tens of millions of dollars to the group’s armed wing, the military said.
“These funds were used to sustain Hamas’s war effort against the State of Israel,” Adraee stated.
Raed Saad was considered one of Hamas’s top operational commanders, involved in planning and directing attacks against Israel. The joint killing of both figures, Israeli officials say, represents a significant blow to Hamas’s leadership and financial infrastructure.
The IDF has repeatedly emphasized that disrupting Hamas’s funding networks is a central component of its campaign, alongside targeting military commanders and operational cells.
Israeli officials say Hamas relies heavily on international fundraising, smuggling, and foreign financial support to maintain its ability to fight. Eliminating senior finance operatives, the military argues, directly weakens the group’s long-term capabilities.
