Israeli military announces death of Hamas govt chief in Gaza airstrike three months ago

The Israeli military on Thursday said it killed senior Hamas leader Rawhi Mushtaha, the head of the Hamas government in Gaza. Hamas has not confirmed the deaths of the senior officials, which the IDF claims is because the "group wants to prevent loss of morale and functioning of terror operatives".

Jerusalem: The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Thursday said that it killed a senior Hamas leader in an airstrike in the Gaza Strip around three months ago. It said that a strike on an underground compound in northern Gaza killed Rawhi Mushtaha, the de facto PM of Gaza, along with two other Hamas commanders, Sameh Siraj and Sameh Oudeh.

"IAF fighter jets struck and eliminated the terrorists while they were hiding in a fortified and equipped underground compound in northern Gaza. The compound served as a Hamas command and control center and enabled senior operatives to remain inside of it for extended periods of time. The IDF will continue to pursue all of the terrorists responsible for the October 7 massacre and will operate against anyone who threatens the State of Israel," said the military on X.

Quoting the Israeli military and the Shin Bet, The Times of Israel said Mustaha was targeted in a strike in the Gaza Strip three months ago, along with Hamas officials Sameh al-Siraj, who held the security portfolio in Hamas’s political bureau, and Sami Odeh, the head of Hamas’ “general security mechanism". The IDF says it had “precise intelligence” indicating the officials were in the tunnel.

Hamas has not confirmed the deaths of the senior officials. The IDF says that Hamas is hiding its losses “to prevent loss of morale and functioning of its terror operatives.” The military described the tunnel as “a fortified and equipped underground compound” that “served as a Hamas command and control center and enabled senior operatives to remain inside of it for extended periods of time.” 

Mushtaha was Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's 'right-hand man': IDF

The Israeli military further said Mushtaha was Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s “right-hand man and one of his closest associates.” They both served a prison sentence together in an Israeli jail, and later together established Hamas’s general security mechanism. 

“Mushtaha was considered to be the most senior figure in the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip, and during the war maintained civil control of the Hamas regime, while simultaneously engaging in terror activity against Israel,” the military said. He was also one of the senior Hamas operatives and had a direct impact on decisions relating to Hamas' force deployment.

“Mushtaha was involved in military decisions while also acting as the head of Hamas civil governance in the Gaza Strip and holding the prisoners affairs portfolio. He also formerly held the finance portfolio,” the military added. 

Earlier, Hamas's Head in Lebanon, Fathi Sharif Abu Al-Amin, was killed along with his family in Israeli airstrikes on their home in the Al-Buss refugee camp in southern Lebanon. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) has also issued a statement, claiming the Hamas Lebanon chief was killed "under the intelligence guidance of the Shin Bet, the Amman and the Northern Command, the terrorist Fathi Sharif, the head of the Lebanese scene of the terrorist organisation". 

Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 41,788 Palestinians and wounded 96,794 since October 7, the Palestinian enclave's health ministry said on Thursday as the war approaches its one-year anniversary with no end in sight. At least 99 Palestinians have been killed and 169 wounded in the past 24 hours, the ministry said in a statement. 

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