Israel conducted an air strike in Gaza over the weekend targeting a senior Hamas militant named Marwan Issa, but it is unclear if he was killed. The strike took place between Saturday and Sunday on an underground compound near the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
The compound was reportedly used by Issa, who was the deputy of Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas’s armed wing. Deif is accused by Israel of being one of the masterminds behind an attack on October 7. The results of the strike are still being examined.
In early January, an Israeli strike in Beirut killed Saleh al-Aruri, a founder of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is on its way to “total victory” in the conflict sparked by the October 7 attack, which resulted in about 1,160 deaths according to Israeli figures.
The European Union has placed sanctions on Issa, Deif, and Hamas’s Gaza political chief Yahya Sinwar. Sinwar is accused of being a top mastermind behind the October 7 attack. Palestinian media reported that Issa’s son, Mohammed, was killed in an Israeli strike.
Israeli officials believe that 99 hostages taken by militants in Gaza are still alive, while 31 have died. The relentless military campaign by Israel to destroy Hamas has resulted in the deaths of at least 31,112 people, according to the health ministry in Gaza.
