No fast affirmation from Hamas after Israeli army spokesman says Issa was once killed in a strike ‘two weeks in the past’.Israel’s army spokesman says Hamas deputy army commander Marwan Issa was once killed previous this month in an Israeli assault at the Gaza Strip.
A senior Hamas reputable advised Al Jazeera on Tuesday that the gang’s political bureau has no longer but won proof in regards to the loss of life of Issa, as Israel’s struggle on Gaza nears six months.
“We all know since day one, the Israelis were announcing they wish to goal [the] Qassam Brigades and different commanders. On the other hand, within the absence of an reputable observation confirming the martyrdom, one can not ascertain such knowledge,” Hamdan mentioned from Beirut, Lebanon.
Previous, Israel’s Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari had mentioned: “We’ve checked the entire intelligence. “Marwan Issa was once eradicated within the strike we performed round two weeks in the past,” he mentioned.
Izzat al-Rashq, a Hamas politburo member, mentioned there will have to be no self assurance within the Israeli statements and that affirmation may just handiest come from the Qassam Brigades.
The Israeli army had in the past mentioned that they had focused Issa in an air strike on an underground compound in central Gaza on March 9-10.
Issa was once a deputy to Mohammed Deif, the longtime chief of Hamas’s army wing the Qassam Brigades.
Hamas’s most sensible chief in Gaza, and the alleged mastermind of the October 7 assault that brought on Israel’s newest attack on Gaza, is Yahya Sinwar.
Israel has vowed to kill each Sinwar and Deif in Gaza.
Israel says it has killed greater than 13,000 Hamas warring parties for the reason that get started of the struggle however has no longer supplied any proof to make stronger its claims.
‘Generating an increasing number of leaders’
Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, mentioned Israeli officers were announcing for the reason that starting in their offensive that they will “to find and kill all Hamas management and each unmarried Hamas fighter at the floor”.
“It wasn’t simply going to be in Gaza. It was once going to be in all places the arena,” Salhut mentioned.
The Israeli declare comes an afternoon after the United International locations Safety Council handed a answer challenging an instantaneous ceasefire in Gaza and amid rising requires Israel to halt its just about six-month attack at the besieged enclave, which has killed greater than 32,000 folks.
Greater than 90 % of Gaza’s 2.3 million citizens were internally displaced whilst Israel’s critical restrictions on meals, water and different assist provides have driven the enclave to the edge of famine, consistent with the UN.
Israel has killed a number of senior leaders of Hamas through the years, handiest to look them temporarily changed, with little obvious have an effect on at the crew’s operations.
Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara mentioned each time Israel “declared victory by way of assassinating one Hamas chief, dozens stepped as much as take his position”.
“The speculation of pointing out victory as a result of one or two, or a number of Hamas leaders have been killed, has confirmed to be extra of a facade,” Bishara mentioned.
“[A]t the top of the day, Hamas has confirmed greater than able to generating an increasing number of leaders,” he added.
If the Israeli declare is correct, Issa will be the highest-ranking Hamas chief to were killed in Gaza for the reason that get started of the Israeli attack in October.