The Israeli military has eliminated three senior Hamas leaders, including Rawhi Mushtaha, in a targeted strike amidst the ongoing conflict with Palestinian militants. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Thursday that Rouhi Mushtaha, head of Hamas’s Gaza administration, along with Sameh Al-Siraj, who managed Hamas’s political bureau’s security portfolio, and commander Sami Ouda, were killed in the attack. Mushtaha, a top Hamas figure and Prime Minister of Gaza, was instrumental in military deployment decisions.
According to the IDF and Shin Bet, these three leaders were targeted in an attack three months ago in the Gaza Strip. All three were killed in a single strike. The airstrike targeted Hamas leaders hiding in a tunnel in northern Gaza. The IDF reported that they had received “precise intelligence” indicating the presence of the Hamas leaders in the tunnel. The compound, which was used as a Hamas command and control center, was destroyed entirely, with the help of artificial intelligence to locate and strike the specific point.
Rawhi Mushtaha, one of Hamas’s closest aides to its chief Yahya Sinwar, was among those eliminated. In 2015, the U.S. State Department designated Mushtaha as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist.” Mushtaha also oversaw Hamas’s financial affairs as a member of its political bureau in Gaza, according to the European Council on Foreign Relations. Another Hamas leader killed, Sameh Al-Siraj, was also a political bureau member, while Sami Ouda was the head of Hamas’s internal security agency, the IDF said. Mushtaha was considered the most senior figure in Gaza’s political bureau, responsible for maintaining civilian control under Hamas’s rule while engaging in terror activities against Israel, according to the IDF. Though overseeing the portfolio of prisoners, Mushtaha had a say in military decisions and had previously handled financial affairs, the military added.
Sameh Al-Siraj was the driving force behind Hamas’s political stance in Gaza. As Israel’s military campaign to dismantle Hamas nears its conclusion, Hamas leaders are being eliminated one by one, leaving the group leaderless and in disarray. Each leader that steps up is quickly killed, according to the IDF. The Israeli military claimed that the sound of Hamas’s leadership in Gaza is fading, as the group has lost most of its top figures and thousands of fighters.
Hamas no longer holds control in Gaza, and the region’s governance is now vacant. Gaza is now fully controlled by Israeli military power. The war in Gaza began after a Hamas attack on October 7. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, under Hamas control, at least 41,788 people have been killed, the majority of whom are civilians. The United Nations considers these figures reliable.
Hamas has not confirmed the deaths of its senior officials. Israel accused Hamas of trying to maintain its operations despite the loss of its leaders, insisting that the group’s morale and function are deteriorating. The IDF stated that Mushtaha was Yahya Sinwar’s right-hand man and one of his closest associates.
