Mahmoud Qawasma Ali Hassan

A senior Hamas operative in the organization’s military wing. He planned numerous terrorist attacks and was imprisoned in 2004 after being convicted of attempted murder, shooting at people, and membership in an unrecognized organization. He was released as part of the Shalit prisoner exchange in 2011. From the Gaza Strip, he directed the 2014 abduction and murder of three Israeli teenagers, an attack that contributed to the escalation that led to the outbreak of Operation Protective Edge. He was arrested again on March 21, 2024, at Al-Shifa Hospital during the military campaign in the Gaza Strip. He was released on October 13, 2025, after approximately one year in prison, as part of the agreement for the release of the living hostages from the Gaza Strip. Under the terms of the agreement, he was permanently deported from the West Bank.