Senior Hamas official Imad al-Alami is in critical condition after he accidentally shot himself in the head on Tuesday while inspecting his weapon, according to the group's spokesperson, Fawzi Barhoum.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry spokesperson Dr. Ashraf al-Qidre said that al-Alami, a key link between the terrorist group and its Iranian backers in Tehran, is in critical condition and being treated at the intensive care unit in Gaza's Shifa Hospital, according to Times of Israel.
Al-Alami, also known as Abu Hamam, was born in Gaza in 1956. He was one of the founders of Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, and served as the terror group’s main representative in Tehran for many years before moving to Damascus in 2008.
At the start of the Syrian civil war in 2012, he was the last Hamas leader to leave Damascus and return to Gaza, where he was quickly elected as deputy Hamas leader, a capacity in which he served until last year’s elections.
Al-Alami is unique among senior Hamas leaders for staying out of the press. He does not take part in press conferences nor is he active on any social media platform.
This is not the first time al-Alami has suffered a serious injury. Back in the summer of 2014, he was treated in Turkey for serious leg injuries during the Israel-Gaza war. While it is not clear how he suffered the injuries, there are various claims ranging from an elevator collapsing on a Hamas hideout to him being injured by gunfire during a battle between Hamas activists.
He was first deported from Gaza in 1991 after being arrested by Israeli security forces for orchestrating terror activities for Hamas.