JERUSALEM: The Israeli army Tuesday said it had killed deputy leader of the armed wing of Hamas, Marwan Issa, in an airstrike earlier this month.
He was killed in a precise airstrike two weeks back by the air force based on intelligence from the Israeli internal security agency, the Shin Bet, army spokesman Daniel Hagari said.
He dubbed Issa as “one of the organisers of the October 7 massacre”, and the most senior member of the Palestinian fighter group killed since the Gaza war began.
The White House announced that the Palestinian fighter group leader had been killed during a press conference on March 18, but Israel had not confirmed his death until now.
The Israeli military previously announced that it had targeted Issa in an airstrike on an underground facility in central Gaza between March 9 and 10.
Major General Hagari said at the time that Issa was the deputy of Mohammad Deif, the head of the Hamas armed Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades.
However, Hagari said at that time that it is not clear that Issa was killed in this operation, adding they were still investigating the outcome of the attack and the final confirmation has not yet been obtained.
