Raed al Atar (1974–2014) was the commander of the Rafah company of the Hamas Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades and member of the Hamas high military council. According to the Congressional Research Service analyst Jim Zanotti, his command was important due to Rafah being the destination point for the smuggling tunnels from Egypt.
Raed al Atar
The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, named after Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, is the military wing of the Palestinian organization Hamas. Currently led by Mohammed Deif, IQB is the largest and best-equipped militant group operating within Gaza today.
Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, Syrian Muslim preacher and leader in Arab nationalist resistance to British and French rule, a militant opponent of Zionism in the 1920s and 1930s
Qassam rockets launched from Gaza, on display at an Israeli police station at Sderot, 2009.
Al Qassam militants rappelling during a training exercise in Gaza, January 2013