The Israeli military announced Thursday it had killed Rawhi Mushtaha, the head of the Hamas government in Gaza, along with two senior security officials in an airstrike conducted three months ago.
According to an Israeli military statement, the strike targeted an underground compound in northern Gaza that served as a command and control center. Mushtaha and commanders Sameh al-Siraj and Sami Oudeh were reportedly taking refuge there when the strike hit.
“Mushtaha was one of Hamas’ most senior operatives and had a direct impact on decisions relating to Hamas’ force deployment,” the military said in a statement.
The Israeli military described Mushtaha as a close associate of Yahya Sinwar, the top Hamas leader believed to have helped mastermind the October 7 attack on Israel that sparked the ongoing conflict. Sinwar is thought to be alive and in hiding within Gaza.
Sameh al-Siraj reportedly held the security portfolio for Hamas’s political bureau.
The announcement comes amid ongoing military operations in Gaza, which have intensified since Hamas’s October attack on Israel. The Israeli military has been targeting Hamas leadership and infrastructure in an effort to dismantle the organization’s operational capabilities.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in significant casualties on both sides and has drawn international concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
