 "Hamas co-founder Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa killed in Israeli airstrike in Gaza. X/@IDF")
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and Israel Securities Authority (ISA) confirmed on Friday that Hamas ’s co-founder, Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa, was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City. In a statement on the matter, the IDF said that Al-Issa was hit in the area of Sabra within the city.
“Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa was a key source of knowledge and one of the last remaining senior Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip who held high-ranking positions before October 7th, 2023,” the IDF said. In its statement, the Israeli military described Al-Issa as a senior figure in the militant group’s military wing.
He was considered the founder of both Hamas itself and Hamas’ military wing. IDF noted that at the time of his death, Issa was serving as the head of its combat support. Apart from this, he was also a member of Hamas’ General Security Council. IDF noted that in the past, Al-Issa “played a significant role in the planning and execution of the brutal October 7th massacre ,” but neglected to share what role he played.
Hopes for a ceasefire look bleak
Israel has essentially managed to eliminate the top brass of Hamas in its months-long war in Gaza. The war started days after Hamas conducted a surprise attack on October 7 in southern Israel, killing 1,200 people. Apart from this, the Palestinian militant group also took over 200 people as hostages , some of whom are still under its captivity.
In retaliation, Israel declared war on Hamas and has killed more than 56,000 people and has left thousands more wounded in Gaza as of now. The coastal enclave is also facing a shortage of crucial resources like food, water and medical supplies.
While both sides agreed to a brief ceasefire in two instances, hopes for the end of the war started fading. In light of this, on Friday, US President Donald Trump indicated that a ceasefire might come into play within the next week . However, it was not clear whether it would be a temporary or permanent ceasefire, or if any prisoner exchanges would be involved, like in past temporary ceasefire agreements.
The IDF noted that during the war between Israel and Hamas, Al-Issa worked to rebuild Hamas’ organisational systems that were damaged in Israeli strikes. The IDF also mentioned that Al-Issa had advanced attacks against Israeli citizens and IDF troops in Gaza. The Israeli military went on to vow to “locate and eliminate all terrorists from the different terrorist organisations who took part in the brutal October 7th massacre.”