Palestinian Islamic Jihad spokesman reportedly killed in IDF strike
Abu Hamza, the spokesman for the al-Quds Brigades, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's military wing, was eliminated in the strike • Five senior Hamas officials were also reportedly killed
The Israeli air operation launched on Tuesday in the Gaza Strip targeted several high-profile leaders, including Abu Hamza, the spokesman for the al-Quds Brigades, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's military wing.
According to reports, he was eliminated in the strike. Palestinian sources said that five senior Hamas officials were also killed in the surprise offensive, which has reportedly caused more than 300 deaths in the Palestinian enclave. Among the killed executives is Essam al-Dalalis, who held the position of head of the Hamas government in Gaza. Originally from Jabalia and resident in Nuseirat, this official played an essential role in the civil administration of the Gaza Strip since the movement seized power in 2007. Israel had previously suggested that he had been eliminated at the start of the conflict.
The Israeli forces also neutralized Bahjat Abu Sultan, who oversaw internal operations in Gaza with a rank equivalent to that of a brigadier general, as well as Mahmoud Abu Watfa, the general manager of the Hamas interior ministry in Gaza. He was killed along with his family during a strike on his home in Gaza City.
The offensive also claimed the life of Ahmad Omar al-Hatta, director general of the Hamas justice ministry, and Abu Obeida Mohammed al-Jamasi, a member of the political bureau of the movement.
This military operation was launched after the Israeli army identified "more than 20,000 Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters" who were believed to have redeployed in Gaza during the two months of ceasefire. According to the IDF, Hamas was preparing imminent attacks, justifying this resumption of hostilities.