Senior Hamas Operative Killed in Israeli Airstrike in Gaza Strip

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) today announced the death of senior Hamas operative Rawhi Mushtaha, head of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip.

According to the IDF, Mushtaha was killed in an airstrike three months ago, along with Sameh al-Siraj, a senior figure in Hamas’s political bureau and Labor Committee, and Sami Oudeh, the commander of Hamas's General Security Mechanism.

Mushtaha, along with Yahya Sinwar, co-founded Hamas's General Security Mechanism, the military reported. The two served a prison sentence together in an Israeli facility.

Mushtaha was regarded as the most senior figure in Hamas's political bureau in the Gaza Strip and was responsible for maintaining civil control of the Hamas administration during the conflict while also engaging in operations against Israel. He was considered Hamas leader Sinwar's right-hand man and one of his closest confidants.

The IDF reported that the three Hamas operatives were targeted while hiding in a fortified underground command and control center in the northern Gaza Strip. The operation, conducted by the Israel Air Force, was based on intelligence provided by the IDF and the Shin Bet security agency.

The military also stated that Hamas had refrained from publicly announcing the deaths at the time to prevent a decline in morale among its fighters. The underground facility where they were hiding was reportedly equipped to allow prolonged occupancy by Hamas members.