Israeli officials now believe that Marwan Issa, the deputy military leader of Hamas in Gaza, was killed in an airstrike that targeted a tunnel complex under the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza a week ago, The Guardian reported on Saturday.
According to the report, Hamas’s leaders’ communication systems, relying on encrypted apps and couriers, were down for more than 72 hours after the attack on Issa, which normally happens every time senior Hamas leaders are assassinated.
The Guardian cites experts who suggest that the strike targeting Issa, a significant figure in orchestrating the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, indicates that Israel is receiving intelligence from a prominent source within the organization.
Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence official and regional analyst, told the Guardian that for Israel to carry out the operation successfully, it would have required prior knowledge of Issa’s exact location and the timing of his presence there, ensuring sufficient time for cabinet approval and IDF execution. Moreover, Israel would have needed assurance that no Israeli captives were being used as human shields nearby, a detail likely confirmed through a human informant.
The negotiations for releasing the hostages have divided Hamas, which today is split between its now three senior leaders in Gaza and those who are in exile in Qatar, Turkey, and Lebanon. The latter were not told about the October 7 attack until the very last minute.
