Israel was verifying if Marwan Issa, the second-highest military leader of Hamas died in an air strike in Gaza, as the talks for a ceasefire during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan continued to stumble.
It would be the highest-ranking official from Hamas in over five-month war if Marwan Issa is confirmed dead that has killed tens of thousands in Gaza, the blockaded Palestinian enclave.
Israel bombed the Al-Nusseirat camp in central Gaza on Saturday, according to the reports of Israeli Army Radio.
The Israeli side had intelligence about the location of Issa, who leads the Hamas military wing called Izz el-Deen al-Qassam brigades.
Over five people were killed in the bombing of Al-Nusseirat camp, according to the reports of Israeli Army Radio.
A day later, while Israel said its forces had killed militants in central Gaza, it did not mention if or not Issa was among those dead.
Issa features high on Israel’s list of most-wanted leaders. He features together with the Hamas military wing head Mohammed Deif and Hamas’s Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar, who is accused of masterminding the October 7 attack that triggered the currently ongoing conflict.
Issa’s death would bring Israel closer to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s goal of ‘decimating Hamas’.
The talks for a ceasefire are ongoing through Egyptian and Qatari mediators.
‘Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on October 7 and killed around 1200 people and took 253 hostages’, according to the Israeli tallies.
‘The consequent war has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians and injured about 73,000’, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.
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