On Monday, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed that an Israeli airstrike in Gaza last week killed senior Hamas commander Marwan Issa.
Issa was the third-ranking member of Hamas, serving as the deputy head of Hamas’s military wing, and is said to have been one of the masterminds of the October 7 terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians.
“Hamas’s number three, Marwan Issa, was killed in an Israeli operation last week,” Sullivan said during a White House press briefing.
“The rest of the top leaders are in hiding, likely deep in the Hamas tunnel network, and justice will come for them too. We are helping to ensure that,” he added.
CONFIRMED
Hamas #3 Marwan Issa became enrubbled when the IDF blew up the tunnel he was cowering in last weekTime for the Dead Tango Dance pic.twitter.com/qjD29mm0iI
— Jim Hanson (@JimHansonDC) March 18, 2024
The IDF attack that eliminated two senior Hxmas leaders.
1. Marwan Issa, known as the Ace of Clubs, was the third-ranking member in Hxmas and served as the deputy head of Al-Qassam, Hamas’s military wing. He was involved in planning the October 7th incident.
2. Razi Abu Tamaa,… https://t.co/2HvB1YKjze pic.twitter.com/vEuzyXPJsG
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) March 19, 2024
According to the IDF, more than 50 terrorists have been killed and around 180 suspects arrested since the start of the Shifa operation.
IDF shared on X, “The activity of the IDF and Shin Bet forces, the 13th Fleet and the combat team of the 401st Brigade, led by the 162nd Division, continues in the area of the Shifa Hospital. The fighters eliminate terrorists in face-to-face battles and locate weapons in the area while preventing harm to civilians, patients, medical teams and medical equipment.”
נמשכת פעילות כוחות צה״ל ושב״כ, כוחות שייטת 13 וצוות הקרב של חטיבה 401 בהובלת אוגדה 162, במרחב בית החולים שיפאא׳.
הלוחמים מחסלים מחבלים בקרבות פנים מול פנים ומאתרים אמצעי לחימה במרחב תוך מניעת פגיעה באזרחים, חולים, צוותים רפואיים וציוד רפואי>> pic.twitter.com/vAB7T70x8L
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) March 19, 2024
Jewish News Network reports:
In a joint statement released on Monday afternoon, the IDF and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) announced that during the operation, troops killed Faiq Mabhuoch, head of the Operations Directorate of Hamas’s Internal Security. He was also responsible for coordinating terrorist activities in the Gaza Strip, according to the statement.
“Faiq Mabhouh was eliminated in an encounter with the troops while armed and hiding in a compound at Shifa Hospital, from which he operated and advanced terrorist activity. Numerous weapons were located in the room adjacent to where he was eliminated,” the statement continued.
Hamas forces fired on Israeli troops from within the hospital, according to the army. The terrorists used patients at the hospital as human shields.