In a significant escalation of its military operations in Gaza, the Israeli military announced on Thursday that a recent strike resulted in the deaths of three top Hamas leaders. The targeted individuals include Rawhi Mushtaha, the head of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip, Sameh al-Siraj, a key figure in Hamas’s security bureau, and Sami Oudeh, a commander within the group.
The Israeli military characterized Mushtaha as a critical operative within Hamas, stating that he had a direct influence on the organization’s military strategy and force deployment. He was noted to be a close aide to Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s top leader. In a notable point, the US State Department had designated Mushtaha as a “specially designated global terrorist” back in 2015.
The European Council on Foreign Relations highlighted Mushtaha’s role as part of Hamas’s Gaza politburo, overseeing financial operations, while al-Siraj was also recognized as a member of the politburo. Oudeh was described as the leader of Hamas’s internal security agency.
This military campaign is part of Israel’s broader effort to dismantle Hamas, which has reportedly resulted in the deaths of numerous Hamas leaders and thousands of its fighters. The recent conflict was ignited by a deadly Hamas attack on October 7, which left 1,205 individuals dead in Israel, predominantly civilians, according to official Israeli figures.
In response, Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has claimed at least 41,788 lives, primarily civilians, as per the health ministry in Gaza. The United Nations has indicated that these figures are considered reliable.
Sources By Agencies
