The Israeli military announced on Saturday that it had assassinated Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa, a senior Hamas commander, in an airstrike targeting Gaza City.
Al-Issa, identified as one of the founding members of the Al-Qassam Brigades—the armed wing of Hamas—was killed in the strike that hit the al-Sabra neighborhood, according to the Israeli army. The commander held multiple senior roles within the group, including Head of the Training Headquarters and member of Hamas’ General Security Council.
The Israeli army’s statement revealed that Al-Issa played a significant role in the planning and execution of the October 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 people and the capture of over 200 hostages. “Issa led Hamas’ force build-up, training, and planned the October 7 massacre,” the IDF reported.
The airstrike that killed Al-Issa was part of a larger operation in Gaza City, where Israeli forces killed at least 60 people, including nine children in an attack on the Tuffah neighborhood, according to sources at Gaza hospitals. The Gaza Health Ministry reports that Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 56,412 people and wounded 133,054.
In a separate incident, an Israeli attack on southern Lebanon killed at least two people on a motorcycle in the village of Mahrouna, Lebanese officials say. This latest escalation adds to the growing tensions in the region.
The Israeli military’s actions have been confirmed by multiple sources, with the IDF stating that the operation was conducted in coordination with the Shin Bet domestic security agency. Al-Issa’s death marks a significant blow to Hamas’ military leadership, following the reported killing of Mohammed Sinwar, the top commander of Hamas’ armed wing in Gaza, in an Israeli airstrike earlier this month.