The Hamas most wanted cards are decks of playing cards featuring pictures of Hamas members wanted by Israel. The decks were produced by independent volunteers and were handed out to Israel Defense Forces soldiers during the early stages of the Gaza war. [1] [2]
In the early days of the Gaza war, more an unofficial[ further explanation needed ] card deck of 54 wanted senior Hamas figures was distributed[ by whom? ] to Israeli soldiers. The idea for the deck was inspired by the most-wanted Iraqi playing cards created by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency for identifying the top wanted members of Saddam Hussein's government during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The history of making similar decks dates back to the American Civil War. [3] [4] [2] The purpose of the deck was three-fold: 1) help IDF soldiers identify Hamas figures in the field; 2) killing or capturing the subjects of the cards would represent the end of the war; 3) demonstrate Israeli resolve and unsettle Hamas figures hiding in bunkers and tunnels. More than 10,000 decks of the cards were distributed to Israeli soldiers. It is unclear who is behind the decks. [5]
As of September 2025, [update] 36 people from the list had been killed.
| Card | Person | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOKER | Mohammed Deif | Head of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades | Assassinated in July 2024. [6] |
| JOKER | Salah al-Arouri | Deputy head of Hamas | Assassinated in January 2024. [7] |
| A ♠ | Abu Obeida | Spokesperson of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades | Assassinated in August 2025. [8] |
| A ♣ | Marwan Issa | Deputy Commander of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades | Assassinated in March 2024. [9] |
| A ♦ | Ismail Haniyeh | Head of Hamas Political Bureau | Assassinated in July 2024. [10] |
| A ♥ | Khaled Mashal | Former head of Hamas Political Bureau | |
| K ♠ | Issam al-Da'alis | Head of Hamas government in Gaza | Killed in March 2025. [11] [a] |
| K ♣ | Rawhi Mushtaha | Chairman of the economic committee | Killed in July 2024. [14] |
| K ♦ | Khalil al-Hayya | Deputy head of Hamas's political bureau | |
| K ♥ | Asem Abu Rakaba | Head of the air wing | Killed in October 2023. [15] |
| Q ♠ | Sameh al-Sarraj | Member of Hamas's political bureau | Killed in July 2024. [16] |
| Q ♣ | Izz al-Din al-Haddad | Commander of Gaza City Division (al-Qassam Brigades) | |
| Q ♦ | Ayman Siam | Head of the rockets array | Killed in November 2023. [17] |
| Q ♥ | Yahya Sinwar | Leader of Hamas in Gaza | Killed in October 2024. [18] |
| J ♠ | Mohammed Sinwar | Commander of the Southern Gaza Strip Division (al-Qassam Brigades) | Assassinated in May 2025 [19] |
| J ♣ | Ayman Nofal | Commander of the Central Gaza Strip | Killed in October 2023. [20] |
| J ♦ | Rafa Salama | Commander of the Khan Yunis Brigade (al-Qassam Brigades) | Assassinated in July 2024. [21] |
| J ♥ | Ahmad Ghandour | Commander of the northern Gaza Strip | Killed in November 2023. [22] |
| 10 ♠ | Youssef Abu al-Rish | Deputy Health Minister | |
| 10 ♣ | Fa'ez Baroud | Commander in al-Qassam Brigades | |
| 10 ♦ | Osama Hamdan | Foreign relations officer | |
| 10 ♥ | Mohammed Ouda | Head of Hamas intelligence | |
| 9 ♠ | Ali al-Amoudi | Head of the Media Department | |
| 9 ♣ | Muhammad Atzar | Head of the anti-tank forces in Gaza | Killed in November 2023. [23] |
| 9 ♦ | Zakaria Abu Maamar | Senior member of Hamas's political bureau | Killed in October 2023. [24] |
| 9 ♥ | Mahmoud al-Zahar | Member of Hamas Political Bureau | |
| 8 ♠ | Ahmed Shamali | Deputy commander of Gaza City Brigade | Killed in March 2025. [25] |
| 8 ♣ | Shadi Baroud | Deputy head of intelligence | Killed in October 2023. [26] |
| 8 ♦ | Mousa Abu Marzook | Head of international relations office | |
| 8 ♥ | Razi Abu Tama'ah | Head of the combat support array | Killed in March 2024. [27] |
| 7 ♠ | Imad Akel | Head of rear headquarters | |
| 7 ♣ | Zahar Jabarin | Deputy head of the West Bank region (successor of al-Arouri) | |
| 7 ♦ | Abd al-Hadi Siam | Commander in the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades | Killed in August 2024. [28] |
| 7 ♥ | Haitham Khuwajari | Commander of Shati Battalion (al-Qassam Brigades) | [b] |
| 6 ♠ | Ibrahim Biari | Commander of Jabalia center brigade | Killed in October 2023. [31] |
| 6 ♣ | Wissam Farhat | Commander of Shuja'iyya Battalion | Killed in December 2023. [32] |
| 6 ♦ | Wael Rajab | Deputy commander of the northern Gaza Strip | Killed in November 2023. [33] |
| 6 ♥ | Muhammad Shabana | Commander of the Rafah brigade | Assassinated in May 2025. [34] |
| 5 ♠ | Nasim Abu Ajina | Commander of Beit Lahiya brigade | Killed in October 2023. [35] |
| 5 ♣ | Ibrahim al-Sahar | Commander of the explosive devices in the northern Strip | Killed in October 2023. [36] |
| 5 ♦ | Jaber Aziz | Commander of the Al-Furqan Battalion | Killed in August 2024. [37] |
| 5 ♥ | Hassam Badran | Member of the executive committee | |
| 4 ♠ | Taysir Mabasher | Commander of the northern Khan Yunis brigade | Killed in October 2023. [38] |
| 4 ♣ | Mustafa Dalul | Commander of Zabara Battalion | Killed in November 2023. [39] |
| 4 ♦ | Fathi Hamad | Head of office in the executive committee | |
| 4 ♥ | Ra'ad Sa'ad | Commander in the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades | |
| 3 ♠ | Yakub A'ashur | Commander of the anti-tank system in Khan Yunis | Killed in November 2023. [40] |
| 3 ♣ | Ghazi Hamad | Member of Hamas's political bureau | |
| 3 ♦ | Ismail Siraj | Commander of Nuseirat Battalion | Killed in January 2024. [41] |
| 3 ♥ | Ra'ad Thabat | Member of Hamas's political bureau | Killed in March 2024. [42] |
| 2 ♠ | Madhat Mabasher | Commander of the West Khan Yunis Battalion | Killed in October 2023. [43] |
| 2 ♣ | Mahdi Khuwara | Commander of South Khan Younis Battalion | Assassinated in May 2025. [44] |
| 2 ♦ | Mohammed Alwadia | Commander of the anti-tank system of the Gaza City Brigade (al-Qassam Brigades) | Killed in October 2023. [45] |
| 2 ♥ | Nizar Awadallah | Senior member of Hamas Political bureau |
Following the October 7 attacks, a group of Christian Zionist cowboys who had come to volunteer on farms in Israel, [46] and on settler farms in the occupied West Bank, [47] designed and printed another deck of cards with Hamas personalities and distributed the cards to Israeli soldiers in southern Israel and Gaza. The cards were designed and printed by Be'eri Printers at Kibbutz Be'eri, one of the hardest hit kibbutzim during the October 7 attack. [46]
The deck was printed in Hebrew, English, and Arabic, and included two joker cards and 12 Hamas personalities, including Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, Abu Obaida, Mohammed Deif, Issa, al-Arouri, Mashal, Hamad,[ who? ] Sa'ad, Muhammad Sinwar. The depictions in these cards, from the drawings of the subjects to how their names were written in Arabic, are intended to mock the Hamas leaders. For example, Yahya Sinwar is written as "Sinfar", a play on the Arabic word for mouse, الْفَأْرal-faʔr, and his picture depicts him as a mouse. [46]
