The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced Thursday the successful elimination of three high-ranking Hamas leaders, including their Hamas head Rawhi Mushtaha, in a precision strike on an underground compound in northern Gaza.
Israel claims killing of 3 Hamas leaders in airstrike
According to the IDF’s statement on X (formerly Twitter), the operation targeted and killed Mushtaha along with two other senior commanders: Sameh Siraj, who held the security portfolio on Hamas’ political bureau and Labor Committee, and Sameh Oudeh, Commander of Hamas’ General Security Mechanism.
“Approximately 3 months ago, in a joint IDF and ISA strike in Gaza, the following terrorists were eliminated,” the IDF stated, describing a sophisticated operation targeting a fortified underground facility. The military detailed that the compound served as a Hamas command and control center, designed to shelter senior operatives for extended periods.
Most significant killings in Gaza led by IDF
The significance of these eliminations is amplified by Mushtaha’s close association with Yahya Sinwar, a key Hamas leader who helped orchestrate the October 7 attack on Israel.
That attack, which killed over 1,200 people and saw more than 200 taken hostage, sparked the current conflict in Gaza.
“The IDF will continue to pursue all of the terrorists responsible for the October 7 massacre and will operate against anyone who threatens the State of Israel,” the military emphasized in their statement.
No comments from Hamas yet
As of this report, Hamas has not issued any comment confirming or denying the deaths of these leaders. The ongoing conflict, now in its sixth month, has resulted in significant casualties, with Palestinian health authorities reporting over 41,000 deaths in Gaza since the war’s inception.
This operation represents one of the IDF’s most significant strikes against Hamas’s leadership structure since the conflict began, potentially impacting the organization’s command capabilities in northern Gaza.
