Israel says it targeted Marwan Issa, a top Hamas leader in Gaza

Israel attacked an underground space used by Marwan Issa, the deputy commander of Hamas’s military wing, an Israeli military spokesman said on Monday, adding that investigators were still analyzing the outcome of the attack.

Hamas, which has revealed little information about its senior military leaders since the war began, did not immediately comment.

Israeli spokesman Vice Admiral Daniel Hagari stressed that Israel had not yet finished verifying the results of the attack by Israeli warplanes, which he said had hit a location used by Mr Issa and another senior Hamas military official responsible for the attack. weapons of the group.

If Mr. Issa were killed in the attack, he would be the highest-ranking Hamas commander killed since the war began. His death would mark a victory for Israel, whose leaders have vowed to eradicate the Hamas leadership in Gaza — even though Israel has killed many senior Hamas members in recent decades and the group has quickly replaced them.

One of the highest-ranking Hamas officials confirmed dead since the start of the war is Saleh al-Arouri, a founder of the group’s armed wing who Hamas says was killed in an Israeli attack in Lebanon on January 2 . Although Israel’s campaign has battered Hamas over the past five months, its Gaza leader and suspected mastermind of the October 7 attack, Yahya Sinwar, has escaped Israeli forces. Mohammed Deif, the top commander of the military wing, is also believed to be alive.

Admiral Hagari said the attack was carried out on Nuseirat, in central Gaza, on Saturday night. According to Arab news media, Israel carried out a particularly large number of attacks there that night.

Admiral Hagari said Mr. Issa helped plan the October 7 Hamas-led attack and was part of “the main terror triangle” in Gaza, alongside Mr. Sinwar and Mr. Deif.