The IDF stated that Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa was considered “one of the last remaining senior Hamas terrorists” in Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Saturday that they “eliminated” Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa, who was identified as a founder of Hamas’ military wing and a key planner of the fatal October 7, 2023 incursion into Israel.
The unexpected assault by Palestinian militants resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 250 individuals being taken hostage. In retaliation, Israel initiated a large-scale military operation against Hamas in Gaza. The IDF has subjected the densely populated Palestinian enclave to intense artillery barrages and airstrikes, leaving significant portions in ruins.
The IDF stated that Issa, who “oversaw Hamas’ force development, training, and orchestrated the October 7 massacre,” was killed in Gaza on Friday.
He “held the position of Head of the Combat Support Headquarters, and promoted aerial and naval terrorist attacks targeting Israeli civilians and IDF forces operating in the Gaza Strip,” the IDF asserted in a Telegram statement.
Issa also acted as “Head of the Training Headquarters, and was a member of Hamas’ General Security Council,” the IDF further stated.
Media reports indicate that the Hamas commander died in an airstrike, alongside his wife and grandson.
Late last month, the IDF verified the death of Hamas leader Muhammad Sinwar in an airstrike carried out on May 13 in Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza. The statement noted that the strike destroyed an “underground command and control center, situated beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis,” where the Hamas leader and several high-ranking operatives had been concealed.
Hamas has consistently rejected Israeli assertions that it positions its military facilities amidst residential areas or civilian infrastructure.
Last December, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz took responsibility for the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, which occurred in Tehran in late July 2024. Haniyeh, who served as the Palestinian armed group’s chief negotiator in indirect ceasefire discussions with Israel, perished from an explosive device.
Israel escalated its ground offensive in Gaza during May, following the stagnation of negotiations concerning the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
Throughout the hostilities in Gaza, over 55,600 Palestinians, predominantly civilians, have died, as reported by the enclave’s Hamas-controlled health authorities.