Israeli army says it killed Hamas commander in Gaza airstrike

After two weeks of silence, Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari claimed on Tuesday evening the assassination of Marwan Issa, a key leader in the military wing of Hamas known as the Al-qassam Brigades, in a strike in the Gaza Strip.

“This evening, after examining all intelligence information, we can confirm the elimination of Marwan Issa in an airstrike we carried out about two weeks ago,” Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a recorded speech.

“Alongside Marwan Issa, Ghazi Abu Tamaa was killed in the attack,” he added.

Hagari noted that Issa was the deputy to Mohammed Deif, the overall commander of the Al-qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, and one of the planners of the October 7 attack on Israel last year.

Issa and Abu Tamaa were eliminated in a complex and precise operation based on intelligence provided by the Shin Bet internal security service and military intelligence, Hagari said.

Issa, 58, nicknamed ‘the shadow man’ for his ability to evade Israeli surveillance over the years, has been pivotal in resisting the occupation. He was born in Gaza to a family displaced from the village of Beit Tima near Ashkelon in the occupied territories in 1948.

Accused of joining Hamas, Issa was arrested by the Israeli army during the First Intifada in 1987 for five years. He also spent four years in Palestinian Authority prisons and was released during the outbreak of the Second Intifada in 2000.

Post-2000, Issa, alongside Salah Shahada, played a significant role in rebuilding Hamas’s military wing. He is rumoured to be fluent in Hebrew, according to Israeli media.

Issa joined the Al-qassam Brigades since its inception, assuming various positions until becoming the deputy to its overall leader, Mohammed Deif, succeeding Ahmed alJabari, who was assassinated by Israel in 2012.