Akram al-Ajouri, a senior figure in Palestinian Islamic Jihad and commander of its military wing, reportedly survived an Israeli airstrike targeting him in Iran about a month ago, according to three sources within the organization.
The strike, which took place in mid-March in the Iranian city of Qom, targeted a location where al-Ajouri was expected to be. However, sources say he was not present at the time, having left the site hours—or possibly a day—earlier as part of routine security precautions. He is said to frequently change locations under the protection of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force.
Al-Ajouri, believed to be in his 60s, has led Islamic Jihad’s armed wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, since the Second Intifada began in 2000. Over the years, he has become one of the most influential operational figures in the organization, overseeing military planning, weapons transfers to Gaza, and the establishment of terrorist cells in Judea and Samaria.
The targeted site in Qom reportedly belonged to Mohammad Saeed Izadi, also known as “Haj Ramadan,” a senior Quds Force figure who was eliminated by Israel in June last year. Izadi played a central role in coordinating between Iran and Palestinian terror groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon.