On Tuesday, Imad al-Alami, 61, one of the founders of the terrorist group Hamas, died as a result of accidentally shooting himself in the head.

Al-Alami, who was classified a “specially designated global terrorist” by the United States in 2003, was allegedly inspecting his own gun on January 9 when it supposedly discharged.

Hamas spokesman Fawzy Barhoum told Israel National News that rumors that al-Alami had been assassinated were false.

Al-Alami served as an intermediary between Hamas and its supporters in the Iranian government; he was exiled from Israel in 1994, then represented Hamas in Iran for years until emigrating to Damascus in 2008. In 2012, he returned to Gaza. In 2014, during Operation Protective Edge when Israel went to war with Hamas after members of Hamas first murdered three Jewish teenagers, then struck Israel with rockets after Israel arrested Hamas leaders, unknown perpetrators broke al-Alami’s legs, reportedly by throwing him from a high place.

Foreign Policy has noted:

Not only was Alami on the list of the original six Hamas officials designated terrorists by the U.S. government in 2003, he is also the point man for all of Hamas’s relations with Iran and its proxies. He’s made countless trips to Iran, a country that has provided Hamas with military training and billions of dollars in financial and material aid. … Alami has had a close and continuing working relationship with Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah for over 20 years.