Hamas Govt Head, 2 Top Commanders Killed in Gaza, Claims Israel

Jerusalem: The Israeli military confirmed on Thursday that a strike carried out three months ago killed three senior Hamas leaders in Gaza. The operation targeted Rawhi Mushtaha, the head of Hamas’s Gaza government; Sameh al-Siraj, who handled security for Hamas’s political bureau; and Sami Oudeh, a commander within the group.

Approximately 3 months ago, in a joint IDF and ISA strike in Gaza, the following terrorists were eliminated:

🔴Rawhi Mushtaha, the Head of the Hamas government in Gaza
🔴Sameh al-Siraj, who held the security portfolio on Hamas’ political bureau and Hamas’ Labor Committee
🔴Sami… pic.twitter.com/6xpH6tOOot

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 3, 2024

Mushtaha, a key figure in Hamas, was described as the “right-hand man” to the group’s top leader, Yahya Sinwar, according to the Israeli military. He played a crucial role in decision-making concerning Hamas’s military deployment. In 2015, the US State Department designated Mushtaha as a “global terrorist.” The European Council on Foreign Relations identified him as overseeing Hamas’s financial affairs, while Siraj was also a politburo member. Oudeh headed Hamas’s internal security agency.

Israel’s military campaign, which has been ongoing for nearly a year, has reportedly weakened Hamas by killing several leaders and thousands of fighters and causing widespread destruction across Gaza.

The conflict, which escalated following a Hamas attack on October 7 last year, that killed 1,205 people in Israel, has seen heavy retaliatory strikes. At least 41,788 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Gaza, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry, which the UN has described as reliable.