Hamas’s command structure in Gaza is highly centralized. The group’s military wing, the Izz ad‑Din al‑Qassam Brigades, relies on a small circle of senior leaders who coordinate strategy, weapons production, tunnel warfare, and external relations with Iran and Hezbollah.

By Hezy Laing

Israeli analyst Yoni Ben‑Menachem, a veteran commentator on Arab affairs and former Director‑General of the Israel Broadcasting Authority, has repeatedly argued that Israel’s campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip requires targeting what he calls “the number one figure” in the organization’s hierarchy.

In his August 2026 commentary for the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA), Ben‑Menachem stated: “Israel must eliminate the number one figure in the Gaza Strip – it will deal a fatal blow to Hamas.”

Ben‑Menachem’s assessment is rooted in his long‑standing view that Hamas’s command structure in Gaza is highly centralized.

He has argued that the group’s military wing, the Izz ad‑Din al‑Qassam Brigades, relies on a small circle of senior leaders who coordinate strategy, weapons production, tunnel warfare, and external relations with Iran and Hezbollah.

According to Israeli intelligence reporting cited by Ben‑Menachem, Hamas’s top Gaza‑based leadership has historically included figures such as Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and Marwan Issa.

Israel has confirmed the killing of Issa in March 2024 and has repeatedly targeted Deif, who has survived multiple assassination attempts since the early 2000s.

Ben‑Menachem argues that eliminating the remaining top commander would severely disrupt Hamas’s ability to coordinate military operations, manage its tunnel network, and maintain cohesion among its brigades.

He cites past precedents, including Israel’s 2004 killing of Ahmed Yassin and Abdel Aziz al‑Rantisi, which temporarily destabilized Hamas’s leadership.

He also references the 2021 IDF intelligence assessment that Hamas’s command‑and‑control system is “leader‑dependent,” meaning that removing its top figure creates operational paralysis.

Security analysts such as Michael Milshtein and Kobi Michael have echoed parts of Ben‑Menachem’s argument, noting that Hamas’s Gaza leadership plays a central role in coordinating with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a violent extremist organization responsible for widespread harm and regional destabilization.